Aaachooo!

Allergies. The poor air quality the past few days hasn't exactly helped. Congestion, headaches, sneezing. Add bloating, crankiness, and you have a deadly combination.

Saturday's run was great. Teamed up with Amy again (thanks Amy!) and finished at a decent time. I'd like to increase my pace, I want to finish in less than 8 hrs. But one day at a time, right?
Didn't get my haircut because I was too sleepy/tired by the time I got home. My son Cade was very clingy, I think he still was feeling crappy so that made it even worse. Try holding 2 toddlers, and making room for a 5 yr on the recliner. Fun times.

Headed to church Sunday morning. My niece was being confirmed, I'm her godmother and confirmation sponsor, so I had to be there early. Made it with just 5 minutes to spare. The more I try to be on time, the more I'm late. What's going on? It was a beautiful (long) service, but had to leave before I had a piece of cake at the reception because Candace was hungry.
Went home, and did nothing the rest of the day. Played with the kids and that's about the extent of my XT for Sunday.

Slept late (until 8) on Monday. I still remember when sleeping late meant getting up at noon. ha! Then we headed to Mother in Law's house for lunch. The kids had a great time, I had a chance to relax, we stayed all afternoon and came home around 5. I was so sleepy and didn't get my run in *blushing*. Why are Monday's so hard?

I'm looking forward to next month. My mom is finally coming home on June 7. I can't wait! I'm very much a "momma's girl".

*warning* vent to follow *warning*
I didn't start this whole marathon to lose weight. But I figured I would lose some weight because it came with the territory. Guess what? I have lost NOTHING and have actually gained a few pounds. It is so frustrating! I checked the BMI and according to that scale, my BMI (26) is on the overweight range.

My issue has more to do with my clothes no longer fitting than with the numbers on the scale. The longer I train, the bigger I get. I no longer know what to do. I'm not a junk food eater. My biggest splurge is a Coke once per week, I eat small portions, and I think I eat fairly healthy (no cheeseburgers on a daily basis, no ice cream at night, etc).

So why are the pounds NOT dropping? I thought maybe I didn't really have anything to lose BUT according to the BMI scale, I'm not where I should be! I haven't exercised this hard in my life, not even before the kids. I did weight training before I had kids but never had I gotten this much exercise. I know I have at least 10 lbs to lose, so why am I not losing them?

Ideas, suggestions? I've started Weight Watchers again to see if that helps. It helps to think about what's going into my mouth so I'm going to try and see what happens.

Operation Hydration in progress

I have been drinking water since I got up this morning, hoping that I will be fully hydrated by tomorrow. Actually I have been hydrating all week, drinking a minimum of 64 oz each day. Yesterday was the one day I didn't do so good, so I'm hoping to make up for it.

Growing up, my dad wouldn't allow any kind of soft drinks in the house. We had fresh orange juice and water to drink. Lots of water. His cure for everything was water. I used to think it was funny but now I'm thankful he got that habit instilled in me. I drink tons of water on a daily basis.

We had a rough night. Cade had a fever so I gave him Tylenol. Unfortunately, Tylenol makes him hyper, just like it does his older sister and twin brother. I didn't know it until last night. So he was cranky because he was tired and couldn't sleep because of the effects of the Tylenol. Lesson learned.

Did anyone watch Oprah yesterday? She had a show about depression. It was excellent, in my opinion.

See you tomorrow!

Hardly a superwoman.

Thanks everyone for your kind words. Being a part of this group is great for my soul. You are such a wonderful group of people, and I'm enjoying getting to know you better.

I had to leave work early yesterday. Daycare called because Cade had a fever. He was very lethargic, so I knew right away it was not from teething. I took him to the dr. this morning, he has pharyngitis. It's viral, so no meds other than Tylenol. But he ate lots at dinner, and played for a while. Now I'm hoping that if Braden is going to get it, he gets it now so they can both be well by Tuesday.

I went for a run this afternoon. 52 minutes. It was harder than Monday because of the humidity. 10 minutes into it, I felt like I was melting. yuck. But I still enjoyed it, and ran most of the way home!!! Definitely a good workout. A bit achy because I didn't hydrate much today. Going to fill 2 containers up with water tonight, and leave them in the fridge. Goal is to drink both tomorrow. I need to be ready for Saturday.

Oh and haircut is set for Saturday after the run. I'm so excited I can hardly wait!

I have discovered the joy of running

Up until yesterday, I've been going out and getting my training because I have to. It's part of this bigger commitment so I just did it. That's my nature, I'll set a goal and I will achieve it, no matter how hard the road gets.

Even though I have enjoyed the Saturday runs, the weekly training has been hard. For starters I train alone during the week so it gets tidious, and boring. Until yesterday.

I was having an off day yesterday, feeling twice my age and double my size by the time I got home. I got ready and after leaving food for everyone to chow down while I was gone, I headed out with my iPod and my hydration belt.
Since my watch does not vibrate to alert me of the intervals, I had to decide whether I wanted to listen to the iPod or the watch. iPod won.

I started walking to warm up, and then decided to run when I felt like it, and walk when I needed to rest. What a difference! At first it was difficult, but once I got into it, I realized I was running for longer periods than I normally do (I train in the same area so I know I can run from A to B in my given interval).

I was actually having FUN!! I don't know if it was the music, or the fact I wasn't timing my run, or a combination of both but the aches, and pains left me and I was actually running for the joy of it. Such an awesome feeling! I know I've heard Mark say "Have fun" before, but until now (sorry Mark) I kept thinking "yeah, right, whatever". How could anyone have fun while training for a marathon? I obviously had missed the point. We are training to complete the marathon, not to win, not for personal records (at least not me), not for a set finish time. This should be fun, and until now I had failed to see that.

This had become a chore in a never ending list of chores. It was right there along with bathing the kids, doing the laundry, cleaning the house. It was on the "Things I HAVE to do" list, not on the "Things I WANT to do" list.

Something happened out there yesterday. Maybe it was the music, or the fact I ignored my watch, but I truly enjoyed the time I was out there. all 50 minutes of it. I could have kept going but I didn't want my husband to panick since it was getting dark.

So I think I'm going to forget my intervals during the week. I know I can run 1:30 intervals without a problem, so I'm going to do that on Saturday. If I feel I can go faster, then I move up to the next step. But during the week, I'd like to stick with having fun. At least until having fun becomes the norm, and intervals become an added bonus.
(That is, unless Mark advises otherwise).

Still looking like an ungroomed Poodle

That's the best way to describe my curly hair in this kind of weather.

I left work and drove to Clinton to get my hair chopped off for a good cause. I went thru the paperwork stuff, and then a girl starts to section my hair off into several ponytails. I told her she could cut it right below my ears (which is as short as I usually go). Another woman starts yelling at her to stop because my hair is not long enough.

So I asked her what is she talking about. She said I needed 8 inches. I only had 7 inches, and apparently I wanted to cut it too long. OK, I like short hair but I don't want to go bald over this. I leave the bald do for my husband to sport. I thought that was short enough but apparently it wasn't.

So I left the place with my hair untouched, and upset. I have been letting my hair grow for a whole year with this purpose in mind. I can't stand my hair when it gets long, specially in the summer. I haven't had my hair this long since High School!!! So I'm getting a haircut Saturday after our run, and the American Cancer Society is getting a check instead of my hair. Bummer.

By the time I got home I had a headache. Twins didn't help matters either, since they were tired too and decided to tell me so by screaming. I still managed to cook dinner, and feed them. I didn't get out to do anything, I was exhausted.

So I'm going to do my Monday routine today, my Tuesday Tomorrow and that should catch me up to Thursday. I usually don't XT on Wed anyway. I know, I should, but I can barely squeeze the running days into my weeks as it is.

oh, and if any of you go to church at Morrison Heights Baptist, kudos to everyone there. They were shuttling people from their parking lot to the haircutting place. Everyone was so nice, and the shuttles were great.

I run because I need energy!

It's amazing how running gives me so much energy for the weekend. That's a great thing, considering I have 3 very active kids waiting for me at home every Saturday morning.

Their fevers went away early Friday morning, so I ventured out to Walmart to get some things we needed. I had the 2 boys in a stroller, the shopping cart, and my daughter to keep up with. I don't know if people were looking at me because they felt sorry for me or because they thought I was nuts. LOL But I made it. The boys were very good and so was Candace and I managed to get everything I needed (and then some).

Saturday's run was great. Thanks to Amy who let me tag along with her. I really enjoyed those 9 miles, we chatted most of the way, which made things so much easier. When we got to the half way point, it didn't really feel like we had gone that far. I hope to tag along with her next weekend too.
I went home and managed to get some lunch ready for the kids, put a roast in the crock pot, and even took a short nap. I was exhausted by the time I got in the bed, but at least I was able to make it thru the day.

Yesterday was our anniversary # 7. Amazing how the years have flown by. We have gone thru a lot in the past 7 yrs and always managed to come out stronger in the end.
Mother in law took the kids to a pool party for my nephew, while hubby and I went out for our anniversary lunch. Came home and tackled the biggest job of all, cleaning the kids' room. Gosh, I think I rather do 9 miles than cleaning my daughter's bedroom. How can someone so small make such a mess. I rearranged her room (so it's harder to hide the mess), fed everyone, got everyone ready for bed and crashed around 10:30. Needless to say, 5 AM came way too soon.

Lately, when people ask how many miles I'm doing now, I'll say 9, as if that wasn't a very long distance. LOL Most people are in awe at the fact I can complete that distance, while I keep thinking "piece of cake". how crazy is that? I'm looking forward to our half marathon and the party afterward, that's for sure.

oh, as Chuck noted, I got a new hat. It's lighter fabric and it made a big difference. I started to get a headache at the end, so I think it may be dehydration (even though we stopped at all water stops and I had my water bottle). and no, it was not the logo. ;)

I get to cut my hair today!!! I'm so looking forward to this, I normally wear my hair short, and letting it grow for a year is more than I can handle. But it's for a great cause, and I'm sure someone is going to appreciate the gesture.

Keep on running, marathoners! I'm off to hydrate, this is going to be a long week.

High Fevers

The twins have both been running fevers since Wednesday. I'm not sure what it is, the fevers have been up to 103 at times. yikes.
Needless to say, training had to wait because having 2 sick babies is quite a challenge. I ended up sleeping on the recliner last night. At one point I had both of them with me because they wanted mom close by. Poor babies.

They are both teething, so I am thinking it may be that. After their fever broke this morning, they have been fever free. We'll see how it goes. I'll be there tomorrow for sure, I cannot miss the most important day of the week.

I run because...

...there are a lot worse addictions out there.

I finally have joined the masses and got an iPod! I have been talking about it, but like Kelvin's wife, I'm a penny pincher. So since this month had Mother's day and our 7th anniversary, I told my husband that could be his combined present. I just got the iPod Shuffle. Just music, I don't really have time to play with all the gadgets the others have, so the shuffle will be enough. for now anyway.

I haven't gotten today's training in yet. I hope the rain passes, and cools things off before it's time for me to get home. It's just too hot these days.

I got my headache again yesterday when I was out. I'm beginning to think it's the hat. Not the logo, Chuck, just the hat. It's not a "running" cap, so my head is probably getting overheated. So I have to get another one before Saturday. I don't think it was dehydration, I had my hydration belt and stopped at the water stations. who knows. We'll see how Saturday goes.

I am going to Chicago in June. well, it's technically Des Plaines (where the class is) but it's close enough. Besides, saying Chicago sounds so much better than saying Des Plaines. I hope to go downtown while I'm there.

Pain is temporary, Pride is forever!

Monday, another week.

Saturday was great although my time sucked. It was slow but I really walked the last part of it (from where the trail ended back to the parking lot). The sun was just more than I can handle.

I also ended up with a strange headache, I think it was the cap I had on but it hurt on the back of my head where the cap hits. I ended up having to take the hat off, which meant my head ended up getting hot faster.

Anyhoodle, I tried a gel and was pleasantly surprised at the way it worked. Definitely will try another one on Saturday, except this time I'm taking it before we start. Then I'm going to compare my times.

9 miles! I'm still amazed at myself and the fact I finished 9 miles. Some people think I'm crazy, and will say so to my face. I guess I'm crazy then, because this is actually fun!

Today is my Monday off (I'm off 2 Mondays per month), so I went running after I took everyone to daycare and school. It was almost 10 by then and HOT. I ended up doing 40 minutes before I felt like I was going to melt into the road. But I did it!!!!

Keep on running, marathoners!

I run because...

...I'll never know how far I can go until I try.

Not my quote, found it on a website while I was looking to t-shirts. I found out I came in 102 at the 10k. Go me! I'm as happy as if I had finished first! My first 10k, and I still had the energy to go 2 more miles!

Thanks everyone for your kind words. The clouds have lifted and I feel better. Mary, she has a bike that's too small for her now, so it's time to graduate her to the next size. That's a great idea. Thanks.

I went to the track Tuesday and got 35 minutes of intervals. It was hot and humid. yuck. It makes it hard to breathe and just hard to be outside.

I spent all day yesterday in Columbus. The vehicle I was driving (although new) had no cruise control. So my right leg is bothering me to day. I don't understand how getting cruise control in a state vehicle is considered "extra" and not allowed.
No XT yesterday, unless you count walking outside in the HEAT with my steel toes on. I was exhausted on the way back, hoping I would make it without going to sleep.

Hoping to get my time today, going to fleet feet tomorrow to get a water belt thingie, try out some of the gels, and there is something else I need and can't remember at the moment.

Carry on marathoners!

Guilt

No one said this training would be easy. I can live with that. It's the guilt I can't get over. *sigh*

I didn't get to train properly yesterday because my daughter wanted to walk with me. She is just 5 so needless to say, she can't walk/run for the length of time I have to train. We did get out and walked around the neighborhood for 20 min. She just didn't want me to leave her.

I feel guilty because I have to leave them when I could be spending time with them. I guess I'll have to get out in the morning, before 5 AM in order to get the training in. The fact Braden doesn't sleep thru the night yet isn't helping my morning routine either. I think he may be afraid of the dark, so we are going to try a nightlight and see if it helps any.

So getting out of bed is a struggle in the morning, after I'm up at least twice with him. Sometimes I think maybe I should have waited until they got older. But will it ever get easier? The older they get, the more time they'll need. There will be homeworks to check, sports, etc.

I may just go to the track today and take Candace with me. She likes to run around the track for a while, and then sits there and watches me. At least she'll get to watch me.

sorry for the pity party here. Just one of those days.

The mind was willing, the body not so much

Saturday was the Robert Johnson Blue's Festival in Hazlehurst. I had planned on going, until I got home from our run. The exhaustion and lack of sleep got the best of me. I could hear the music from my house, and wanted to go so badly but I didn't think my body would take it well. So I guess I'll wait until next year.

I XT yesterday. Did Pilates and targeted my abs. OUCH. I'm hurting today. Why is it that I'm aching more today than I was yesterday? My legs are even more sore. I'm looking forward to getting out there today. I'm sure it'll help with the aches and pains.

Saturday, I realized I can very comfortably run for 1.5 minutes. Until Saturday, I could make it but it was a struggle those last 10 seconds. Not anymore. So I'm ready to attempt 2 minutes. At least I think I am.

BTW, Thank you Mark and Clark for going along with me in the last few miles. Clark, you always seem to know the exact time when I need a word of encouragement. I can't wait to have you cheering us along in Chicago. Thank you for all you do for our group.

Running my own race

Today's run was a learning experience for me. I actually enjoyed it, even if my legs felt like they weighed a ton right at the end.

I started out with Christa and Kim, but soon realized I just couldn't keep their pace (those girls are too fast for me!). My legs were hurting, and felt like they were going to cramp. So instead of stopping, which I really wanted to do, I slowed down and gave my legs a chance to warm up. I ended up doing 1.5 intervals during the whole thing.

I enjoyed the course, even if it was a bit tricky with the mud and the rocks. The fires the reenactment guys had going reminded me of my grandfather. I know he would have been proud of me.

So, while I was out there doing my best, I had a chance to think, reflect, etc. Things I've learned while doing my LSD run.
1) Running your own race is the key. It doesn't matter how slow you are, just do your best.
2) Weekly training is important, must not miss those!
3) The mind does tricky things to you when you run. I started telling myself those last 2 miles "you can do this, you carried twins along with their individual "equipment"; YOU CAN DO IT!
4) Training with this group is awesome. Everyone is so encouraging, and just being around this group inspires me to do better every day.
5) Must have my daily coffee before a run. I didn't have any this morning bc I didn't want to get dehydrated. Well, I could tell the difference.
6) Vickie totally rocks! Kudos to you, my friend! Vickie is one fast walker. I was doing intervals, and she caught up with me and passed me! You are awesome!
7) I love running around residential areas. Most people are so supportive, like the lady who was sitting outside right before the finish line. That last mile, she started clapping as we walked by. That was the best moment of the day.

So those are my reflections. ha! I had to come home and take a nap because I was exhausted. Last night, I didn't get much sleep, my son Braden doesn't like to sleep apparently, and tries to keep me awake right along with him. So after 3 AM, I got little sleep, and I was up and going by 6:30.

My time was slower than last week, but that's ok. I finished.

Thinking like a runner

I was thinking just the other day about how much my way of thinking has changed since I signed up for MM.
For example, shoes. Before, I got dressed for work, and never gave a second thought to the height of the shoes I was wearing, or how they would affect my knees or feet. Now, I keep a pair of sandals in my office, so I can change into them during the day. I worry how heels are going to make my knees feel, or how my feet feel in a shoe.
I no longer care if I don't look "stylish" when I go somewhere, as long as my feet are comfy I'm happy.

Remember when Mark said we should "embrace the stench?" yeah, I remember Christa and I saying we just couldn't imagine ever doing that. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't like to stink but when I get back from my Sat. morning runs, I don't care what my hair looks like, or what I smell like. I'm a marathoner who just had a great run and I'm proud to embrace the stench. LOL

I have already mentioned the addiction to running clothes that apparently others are also experiencing. There is just something about "looking " the part that boost my confidence that I can finish this marathon, even when my knees are giving me trouble.

They are just achy, I think it may be partly bc of dehydration. They don't hurt as bad as they have before (which is good) but hurt enough to be annoying. So I didn't do anything yesterday. I know, I shouldn't be skipping but better now than have to sit out later, right?
I'm hoping the adrenaline rush on Saturday will help the aches go away.

Either way, we are marathoners. No one said this would be easy. Only 1% of the population does this. That statistic still blows my mind. Come October, we are going to be in that 1%. WOW

YUCK!

One thing I hate about the summer in MS is the humidity. I can't stand the humidity. Most people think it's strange because I was born/raised in Panama, where it's hot year round. BUT it's a different kind of heat. In the hot season, the winds are blowing all day. I'm talking about 20 mph winds, and since the country is so narrow, it moves the heat out. At night, we get the breeze from the Pacific Ocean (at least where I grew up), so it's nice. And yes, we have the rainy season, but like its name implies, it rains for days which cools things off. So I can live with the heat back home.

So enough about the weather. I'm sure we all dislike the humidity but soon will learn to deal with it since we are going to be training in it for a while. I was thinking yesterday Chicago is going to be a piece of cake compared to training in the MS summer.

I got my shoes inserts. The good news is the pain on my foot is gone. The bad news is my knees are aching. I think it may be a combination of inactivity (didn't train Mon or Tues) and the fact I've been dehydrated the past few days. So I'm drinking tons of water today, and training again today, so hopefully it'll get better before Sat.

I walked for 30 min yesterday though, even though it was XT. I tried to run but my knees were bothering me so I walked instead. Better than nothing, right?

I'm looking forward to the race on Sat, it's my first one!

One year ago today...

... my sons were born. Happy Birthday Braden and Cade!!! Even though I knew the time was close (preterm labor and bedrest for 7 wks) I was still surprised when the dr. said we were having a C-section that day. Now a year has gone by and all I can say is WE SURVIVED!!!

It's hard to explain to someone what is like to be the parents of twins (right, Robin, Mark?). You have to be there and live it. It's hard work, and rewarding all at once; it takes TONS of patience that you didn't know you had, and it takes a lot of strength for those times when they are both crying and you only have one set of arms available.

We had their birthday party Sunday. We had a little cake for each of them. Braden dug into that cake like a mad man! He ate the whole thing! It was so funny. Cade kept looking at Braden as if he had lost his mind. LOL He only ate half of his, I think it was been established who has the sweet tooth.
They got TONS of toys, even though I asked everyone to get clothes instead of toys! Sneaky family, they got toys and clothes.
But the boys loved everything they got, it's just more stuff for me to pick up.

I tried to run yesterday but the arch on my right foot was hurting. After 10 minutes I could hardly walk. So I went and bought some inserts for my shoes, hopefully they will work and I'm guessing it will probably work for my knee pain too.
I went to Target and bought more running clothes. I guess you are officially a runner when buying running clothes becomes as exciting as shopping for other things.

Have a great week everyone!