Looking Ahead

It's that time of year.  2013 is coming to an end and 2014 is ready to come in with a bang.  It's New Year's Resolution time!

Before I can look forward, I think it's important to look back.  2013 has been a wild and wonderful year.  I did something that I never, ever thought I would do...or could do.  In 2013, I ran my very first half-marathon.  Once I started, I couldn't stop.  The girl who swore that she would only run when being chased ran 8 (yep, that says 8) half marathons in 2013.  Not only did I qualify for Half Fanatics (#4455, thank you very much) with my first 3 races, 8 in 12 months helped me "moon up" this year.  It's such an amazing feeling to do something you never thought was possible.

2013 was also the year of school for me.  I started an endorsement in Library Science from Old Dominion University.  I'll finish in 2014, but the bulk of the program was finished in 2013.

I also got a job!  The second half of the year brought me back into a Kindergarten classroom at a private church preschool.  It's a DREAM job!

Finally, 2013 was the year of the doctor for our family as well.  I want to believe that God won't give you any more that you can handle.  This theory has been tested numerous times over the past year.  (And for a few years before this one.)  We have been asking a lot of questions and we have some answers and plans for our kiddos and we are starting to get some behaviors under control.  To me, a label means understanding and knowing what steps to take next to ensure success for the child.  We are a happier family now.

I am looking forward to 2014!  It's a big year for me.  My husband and I will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary with a cruise to Alaska.  I will finish my first year back in the classroom.  My babies will turn 7 and 3.  I will finish my endorsement in Library Science.  I will keep running my races.  

With that, goals need to be measurable.   So...here is my list.  Thank you for keeping me accountable.

1)  I will run at least 1 half marathon every month in 2014.

2)  I will incorporate the 100 Days of Real Food mini challenges.

3)  I will diligently write my monthly budget and use cash to keep our family on track.

4)  I will go to the gym for weights and cross training at least 2 days every week.

5)  I will run 3 days a week.  (2 short runs during the week and 1 long run on the weekends)

6)  I will tell my husband and children that I love them EVERY SINGLE DAY.

7)  I will start a New Year Jar with my family to remind us that there is a little bit of good in every single day!

There is a lot going on up there, but I don't think that any of the goals are unattainable.  I am going to print these out and put them on my fridge where I can see them every day.  I'll keep you posted on how things are going! 

2014 is going to be a wild ride!  I can't wait to see what happens.

Happy New Year! 

Back in the Saddle

Wow!   It's been a while.  73 school days, in fact.  Not to mention countless weekends.  It's been CRAZY at my house these past couple of months.  I haven't had time to do anything, let alone sit down and write.

But, it's time for New Year's Resolutions, so one of mine is to blog more.  Very few people read my little corner of the world, but I like the reminders of how far I have come and how much further I can go.  I'm not promising that I am going to write every day, but it will definitely be more than once a quarter.  I would like to get back to writing about every run like I did when I was training for the Princess Half Marathon.

But, you may have been wondering what has pulled me away from my reflections.

Well....there are these 3.....

We've been very busy with them.  The big boys are in 1st grade...in different classes.  They also played soccer in the fall, started Cub Scouts, and have both been to more doctors than I care to visit in my lifetime, let alone 3 months.

One has been diagnosed with ADHD - Inattentive type.  We were not surprised.  (I've been asking since he was 2).  He has also started Vision Therapy.  Apparently he cannot cross his midline and that is affecting his reading.  I don't mess around when it comes to reading.  He needed glasses to help relax his eyes to help them work together.   He is also facing some surgery in February for an unrelated issue, but there were doctor visits for that.

The second one has also been diagnosed with ADHD, but he has the Combined type.  He started medication just before Thanksgiving to help him control himself. It seems to be working.  He was also diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delay - Not Otherwise Specified.  This is more commonly known as PDD-NOS and is a condition that is on the Autism Spectrum.  He spent hours going through evaluations to help us figure out what we need to do to help him.  We learned that he is even smarter than we thought and that he needs understanding more than anything else.  After all of those appointments, we have a better idea of what we need to do.

And then there is the little one.  He goes to school 5 days a week...at 2 different schools.  The pediatrician was concerned about his hearing, so we went to get that tested.  It was fine.  He was also concerned about his eyes, so we went to get that tested too.  They were not as fine.  His right eye is not as strong as his left, so we have to do patch therapy for 2 hours a day.

There is never a dull moment at my house.

But, there is also this....

A lot...I run 13.1 a lot.  I try to run one half marathon every month.  My BRF and I are trying to do the 50 state challenge - that is one half marathon in every state.  I am pretty good about getting my long runs in on the weekends, but another resolution for 2014 is to run more consistently during the week.  I think that is going to mean a 5am wake up call on running days, but I need to do something.  I will work on the race recaps that I have missed since September later this week....I've had some awesome adventures!

And, finally, there's this guy...

We all know that 

But, he is a trooper and has to settle with what is left when I am tired at the end of the day.  He has stuff going on too, but he holds down the fort when I go off to run, he changes his schedule to help take children places, and he is just an all around great guy.

I forgot to mention that I am working part-time, directing a children's choir, singing in the adult choir, taking classes at Old Dominion to get my school library certification, and serving on the PTA Board for the big boys' school.  

So, that's where I have been for the past 3 months.  Don't worry, I'm making a comeback!  2014 is my year!

Merry Christmas from the Meier family!  See you in 2014!

It's the First Day of School!

These little cuties started first grade today!  For the first time in their lives, they are going to get off of the bus (or out of the car) and walk into different classrooms.  This has been HEARTBREAKING for me.

Yes, I know that it's best for them to develop apart from one another, but I also know that each one finds comfort in having the other one in the same room.

Yes, I know that this gives them the opportunity to be Jacob and Jeffrey instead of the Meier twins, but I also know that they are an important part of each others' lives and being a unit is an important and special bond that they share.

Yes, I know that chances are their relationship at home will improve, but how am I going to be Mommy to both of them when I have to split my time between their classrooms?

Yes, I know it's probably for the best and that is why I refrained from storming into the school and demanding that they get placed together.  We'll give it a try and see how it goes.

The first day was crazy!!  In addition to them going to school for the first day, I also started my new gig as a kindergarten teacher.

We headed to the bus a little later than usual because we were supposed to be at the end of the route.   After a LONG time, a bus finally came into the neighborhood...but it wasn't the bus we were looking for.  The driver said that there was a change and to get on and off they went.  (While it was a little alarming, it was really an answer to our bus-drama prayers!)  We sent them off with a hope and a prayer that they would get on the right bus to come home.  

After a terrible thunderstorm and a long wait, they finally came back!

This one was a little reluctant to talk about his day.  I think he really missed his brother.  His homework asked him to tell his favorite part of the day and he said it was seeing his brother on the playground.  This is going to be very hard for him, I think.  I don't know how to help him.  He has friends in his class that he knows, but his brother is his calming influence in new situations and he is missing that.

This one told us how much he loves his teacher and all about the stories he read and the practice fire drill.  He had a great day and told us all about it.

As for me, my first day of Kindergarten was the shortest 3 hours of my life!!  All of a sudden, it was noon and I had to get the kids out of there.  There are 19 boys and 3 girls.  This is obviously God's way of telling me that I am never going to have a girl....EVER!

I missed my boys today.  It was great to come home and get a hug and kiss from the baby and then get the big boys off the bus.

Tomorrow, little man starts his first day at my school.  (His first day at the other school is on Thursday!)

Rockin' and Rollin'

I did something today that I said I would NEVER, EVER do.  I put on my shoes and I went out for the Rock n Roll Half Marathon.  But, never fear, I didn't go all the way.  My momma didn't raise no fool.  Labor Day Weekend in Virginia Beach, Virginia is HOT.  It's HUMID.  It's MISERABLE.  The thought of running 13.1 miles in 90% humidity and 90 degree temperatures makes me want to stay in bed.  So, this time I opted for the Half Marathon relay.  One of my MRTT running friends begrudgingly agreed to join me for the relay, even GENEROUSLY offering to run the long leg so I could cross the finish line!  (Thanks, Lisa!)

So, I got up at Disney-early o'clock.  (3:30am, in case you were wondering).  I drove my car to the amphitheater to meet my BRF and my relay partner and a new MRTT friend to catch the 4:30 bus to the start at the Convention Center.  (Why we couldn't park in one of the 2500 parking spots at the race start is beyond me, but I got on the bus, in the dark, with a smile on my face.)  Once we got to the starting line, we chatted and walked around until 6:150ish when I needed to catch yet another bus to the relay transfer.

It's important to note at this point that the race started at 7am.  At about 7:30, the first runners started coming by us.  We also saw the wheelchair racers and the hand crankers.  Right after the lightning fast runners from Kenya and Japan who would eventually win the race, the local lighting fast runners started to come.  We saw the Team Hoyt runners and I started seeing my running friends.

The longer I stood there, the hotter it got!  Lisa is my pace, so we were not one of the first teams to transition.  After my BRF ran past, I hit the portapotty one last time and then Lisa came into view.  She passed off her headphones since I left mine in the car at 4:30am in the morning (Thanks, Lisa!), and off I went.  I only had to run 5.2 miles.  That was my mantra for the morning.  The first 2 miles were BRUTAL.  I was hot.  My water was hot.  My stomach was growling.  (Yes, I fueled properly for the race...had I started at 7.  I did not fuel properly for having to wait in the heat to run.)  After 2 miles, I took the Mandarin Orange GU that I was given earlier in the race (mile 9-ish for the half runners, mile 1-ish for me).  After another mile or so, I started to feel better and get into my groove.  It was still hot.  As we ran past Croatan, those wonderful people were out with Popsicles and water hoses.  Then it was up and over the Rudee Inlet Bridge and I was in the home stretch.  As hot as I was, I loved the last 13 blocks of that race!  (What I didn't love was having to ride the bus back to the amphitheater before I could drive home.)

So, now I've done Rock n Roll.....and now I'm done.  I've had my fill.  Bring me some winter running!!

Next up - Divas Half Marathon in Leesburg, VA on September 14!  (Yes, I know it will probably still be hot....I'm hoping for a cold snap!)

Mommy Guilt

One of the hardest things about being a mom is making time for myself.  Between taxi services (running people to and from camp), classwork, volunteer hours (PTA, children's choir, Navy spouse club, and now Boy Scouts), and getting ready for my new paid gig as a Kindergarten teacher, there isn't a lot of time left in the day for me.  It's hard to get to the gym.

Would YOU want to spend more time away from these faces than you have to??

I'm trying to get over the mommy guilt.  When they are gone all day and they finally come home, I still need to go to the gym.  It's not like I sit around all day and watch TV and eat candy bars.  

Let's take today, for instance.  Today is Wednesday.  I don't have any kids on Wednesday mornings.  The big boys have been at camp and the baby has been at baby camp.  I have had 3 hours of solitude on Wednesdays.

Except I haven't.

Today, I dropped the baby at camp while my mom took the big boys.  Then I went to church to work in my classroom and go to a meeting.  I was going to try and make a 10:30 Zumba class to get my workout in while everyone was at camp.  

My meeting started late and ran long, so I missed Zumba.  I did get some work done in the classroom, so that's a good thing.  But, I still needed to get a workout in.  So, after camp, we went to the Y.  I ran on the treadmill and did weights while the boys played in Childwatch.

I had guilt about missing that hour with my babies, but I needed to run.  I needed to do my weights.  

I am home to feed them breakfast.  I am home to get them off the bus.  I feed them dinner and most nights I am home to tuck them in at night.  (If I'm not, then I kiss them when I get home.)  I was fortunate enough to see first steps and I've helped pull teeth.  I did the potty training.

An hour in Childwatch won't kill them.....someone remind me of that the next time I have to go to the gym.  :)

The Longest Yard (or Mile)

 

Today was the day.  I woke up at way too early o'clock to go running.  It wasn't just any run.  Today I was going to run 15 miles.  15 miles.....do you realize how far that is?  That's pretty far.  I mean, 15 miles is a long way.  It's longer than a half marathon, but shorter (way shorter) than a full.  No matter how you look at it, it's farther than I have ever gone before.

In order to make sure that I didn't give up and turn around and go home before the Garmin hit 15, I planned to meet my BRF (Best Running Friend) at the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail at just a little later than way too early (but, still too early for a lazy Sunday morning.)   Why the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail, you may be asking?  Well, because it's long.  We could go 7.5 miles towards North Carolina and then turn around and go 7.5 miles back.  (7.5+7.5 = 15).  There is no cheating.  There is no giving up.  There is no way to get off the trail. (Well, there is...but it's neither easy nor legal.) You start going and you have to get back from wherever you turn around.  It's that simple.  

So, I pulled into the deserted parking lot at 6am, watched an opossum run across the road while I was waiting for Kris to FLY up the road because she was a few minutes late.  We hit the porta potty at the head of the trail and off we went.  (Disclaimer - I went 1/2 mile before I realized that I didn't start the Garmin.  It started beeping at me and I couldn't figure out why.)

The run today was hard.  Kris is the only reason that I did it.  Without her, I would have turned around at a mile and called it a day.  We started with 3:1 intervals.  (She's trying to make me run longer.  She also makes me run faster...too faster, but we'll get to that.)  I kept it up for 5 miles.  That made me happy.  She has only ever gone 5 miles on the trail.   I've gone 6, but that last mile and a half from 6 to 7.5 when we turned around was pretty long.  I think it took us like 4 hours to go a mile and a half.  (That may be a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea.)  After 5 miles, I changed the intervals to 2:1, but I couldn't keep that for very long.  Something just didn't feel right....my legs were tight and my toes were rubbing in my socks.  

Somewhere along the line, I changed the intervals to 1:2.  That got me to about 13 miles.  After that, my legs just stopped moving me forward.  I really wanted to just sit down and let Kris figure out a way to come pick me up.  I have mentioned that there is a bear statue at the head of the trail.  You can start to see it with about a mile and a half to go.  I am here to tell you that the bear kept getting FARTHER away instead of closer.  We walked the last two miles.  I fought the legs and the legs won.  (I made it back to my car, so I guess, I won because I kept going.)

So, the run itself was a bit of a lowlight.  It was hard.  My legs hurt.  I was hot.  My tummy hurt a little.  I can't say it was a good run.  It just wasn't.

But there were some amazing highlights.  I watched the sun rise over the field when I was sitting in the parking lot.  Kris and I solved the world's problems during our time together.  (We really should be in charge of something important...we would be amazing.)  We saw our MRTT friends riding their bikes because they are training for a triathlon.  (There is NOTHING like a smiling face when you still having a LONG....LONG way to go.  The fact that I wanted to "borrow" that bike and ride on to the finish is completely beside the point.)  We also got some amazing support from a man in training for an Ironman who rode past us 3 times.  He really made me feel like a rockstar when he shouted encouragement.  We ran past a guy heading back to the start who was "only" running 10.  I was able to run a 10 minute mile late in the run when my legs were tired and I wanted to sit on the side of the road.  (See, she makes me run faster....too faster.)  There were NO bears out and about this morning.

I earned my shower today.  It was hard work getting out of my car and hobbling up the steps into the house.  I did some stretching, but I was pretty sure I would be miserable for the rest of the day.  Surprisingly, my legs are sore and a little tight, but not nearly as much as I was expecting.  

All in all, it was a great day.  After the run, I got to come home and get a shower in the piece and quiet.  My wonderful, supportive husband had taken the baby out and the big boys went golfing with their Grumpy.  When hubby and baby came home, we ran two computers up to my school classroom and then went out to lunch when the big boys got home.  We spent the rest of the day outside doing little odd jobs.  There is a glass of wine on the agenda for tonight.  (According to Kris and her Garmin, we burned enough calories for 3 BOTTLES of wine!!)

Looking forward to Zumba Monday to stretch my legs out!

And I'm Back!

Guess what!  My classes, that have consumed me for the past 10 weeks, are OVER!  I get about 4 weeks of summer before life starts knocking again.  

Let me catch you up.  I am driving kids to and from camp, trying to set up a Kindergarten classroom, failing at keeping my house clean, and forgetting what it is like to sit and talk to my husband.  But, through it all, I am still running. 

Every Tuesday night in July (except my birthday....I skipped that night), I have joined the Tidewater Striders (the local running club....yep, I'm a member) for their Summer Series. It's 4 weeks of fun running at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Nothing says summer running like 90 degree temperatures, oppressive humidity, a chance of thunderstorms, and 200-300 of your closest running friends.  Each week is different - the first week, everyone started at different times with the goal of finishing all at once.  (I crossed the finish line before my fast friend, Susan.  That means I  "beat" her, right??)  The second week (the one I missed) was a random 1 mile relay.  The third week was a predict your time 4 miler..no GPS, watches, heart rate monitor, no nothing.  (It was MISERABLE.  I really need my interval watch to have a good run.  Lesson learned, but it was still a great night.)  The last week was the memorial scholarship 5K.  This was when my awesomeness happened.

I started my run and it felt great!  I looked up, and I had already gone a mile.  After that first 11:00 mile, I started my 2:1 intervals.  I kept the pace through the whole 3.1 miles, finishing in 35:31....a new PR! (by 40 seconds!!!)  I've been chasing a 36 minute 5K for a year and I finally did it!!!

Next up, a 15 mile training run on Sunday morning.  I'll let you know how that works out.  :)

Running for the Dream

The first weekend in June found me lining up at another starting line!  This time, I was in my old stomping grounds of Williamsburg, Virginia for the run for the dream.  The entire circus made the hour drive up to the 'Burg on Friday afternoon.  We went to the Expo, got our bibs, I signed up for my race shuttle time, and we headed to the Christiana Campbell's Tavern for dinner.  (That was an experience...the kids were very concerned that the "owner" didn't know about the tunnel.  She asked us if we liked the ferry from Norfolk to Williamsburg.)  Then it was off to Sno to Go for some yumminess.

Saturday was hot and sunny.  We got on the Williamsburg bus, drove around our elbows to get to our noses, got dropped off at Merchant's Square and then walked about a mile to Zable Stadium for the kids' races.  (Now, I should mention that Russ had some pretty invasive surgery on the Wednesday before this race.  Riding a bus and then walking was pretty rough for him.  He was a trooper!)  My running friend's daughter ran the mile and the boys ran the 400 meter.

Elmo was there with Cookie Monster to cheer the kids on!

Jeffrey Starting

Laughing and looking where he's already been

Jeffrey crossing the finish line

Jacob halfway there

Jeffrey halfway there

Jake at the start

Jake at the finish...he's in there, look under the R in RUN.

We ran back to the hotel as fast as the bus could take us and FLEW to our reservation at Chickahominy House for lunch.  After lunch, everyone was hot and tired and cranky.  The boys and I went down to the pool while Daddy stayed in the room and took a nap.  

That evening, our wonderful babysitter, who was going to help take care of the boys so I could run, came to spend the evening with us!  We went to Sal's by Victor for some yummy carbolicious pasta and then back to Sno to Go....because we were so close.  We headed back to the hotel for an early night.

The alarm went off at 5 on Sunday morning.  I got dressed (in the dark) and then my running friend, Kris, and I got our bus to the starting line.   (The bus dropped us off right at Confusion Corner, so we had a short little walk down Jamestown Road to Phi Beta Kappa Hall.  That walk took me down memory lane and past my old dorms and classroom buildings.....ah...the memories.)  

We had some time to kill at the start, so we sat on the steps, went into PBK to pee a few times, met some girls from the Princess Posse!  (Totally random, but they are great ladies!)  Then it was time to go.  After the national anthem and a moment of silence for Boston, the gun went off the the Fife and Drum Corps started playing, and the race was starting.  

I started out slowly.  I was already hot and I knew that it was only going to get hotter.  The field thinned out once we got up Jamestown Road and onto Duke of Gloucester Street.  We dodged horse poop and little old ladies trying to get to church at Bruton Parish along the way.  I was able to find a hole to start my intervals just before the first mile marker.  We ran past the Capitol building and then back towards the College on a street parallel to DOG Street.  We cut up the Palace Green toward the Governor's Palace and then turned to head out of Colonial Williamsburg.  We ended up on Route 60 (I am sure the road has a name, I just don't know what it is) and my super fast friend Susan was manning a water stop in her coconut bra and grass skirt just before mile 3.  (There were a LOT of themed water stops...those volunteers were having a great time!)  Then we turned onto Quarterpath Road and headed back toward Route 199.  This was the first hill of the race and it didn't mess around.  We were on a gravel road to nowhere when all of a sudden, there was a pretty big hill and up we went.  We ran around the back of Quarterpath Shopping Center (which was NOT there when I was in school) and ran on 199 to the Colonial Parkway.  I texted my husband after the shopping center to let him know that I was making GREAT time!!  I was ahead of the 2:45 pacer and was feeling great.  

Apparently the Colonial Parkway is the great equalizer.  

Once I ran down the ramp onto the Parkway, I started seeing the runners coming back from the turnaround. I really like running with those people coming toward me.  I am a people watcher, so watching them run (way faster than me) helps pass the time.  Right about here, George and his 2:45 pace group caught me.  I was still doing my intervals, so I would catch him when he was walking up the hills.  I overheard him tell someone not to waste energy on the uphills, so he would stop to walk.  I figured he knew what he was doing, so I tried doing it his way.  We got down to Jamestown Beach, turned around and headed back to Williamsburg.  

Side note - there were 3 hills from the time we got on the Parkway until we turned around.  That meant there were 3 hills on the way back.  Thank goodness the Parkway is pretty shaded, or that race would have been BRUTAL.  It was hard enough in the shade.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.....At mile 9 or so, I couldn't run George's race anymore.  He was walking up the hills, but then he was running faster and longer than I could keep up on the downhills and the flat sections.  Trying to keep up with the 2:45 pace was too hard and took a lot out of me.  At mile 10, I gassed out.  I was done, but I still had 3 miles to go.

After thinking the Colonial Parkway would never, and I mean, never ever, end, we finally ramped up onto Henry Street.  I was doing way more walking than running at this point, but I was still moving forward, so I thought that was pretty good.  I don't remember all of the street names, but we wound around until we were on the backside of the Campus Center.  We cut through and came back to Jamestown Road right by Taliaferro Hall.  Then we turned onto Landrum Drive by Barrett and headed through campus.  (Another side note....running through campus was the part of this race I was looking forward to the most.  I was very disappointed.  We ran through new campus, behind all of the buildings, up by Freshman land, past the Hall, down by the Health Center, and then up the hill (really....up the hill??) by the Lodges and into the stadium.  Not the prettiest part of campus, but probably the safest for running.)  The race ended with a lap around the track.

Seeing my babies!

It was HOT in Williamsburg that day.  I took Gatorade at every other water stop (because that is when it was offered) and at least one cup of water at every stop.  I drank all of the water that I carried.  I ate my Gu Chomps every 3 miles.  I felt pretty good until mile 10.  I did see a couple of people who were getting medical assistance along the route - one lady was packed in ice and a man was getting an IV.  The medical staff was working overtime!

I was close to crushing my PR and finishing in 2:45 for 10 miles.  I think my downfall was trying to run the pacer's race instead of my own race.  I did finish in under 3 hours (barely, but it was under 3!)

Aside from the heat, it was a great race!  The Expo was little, but that's okay.  The kids' races were very, very well organized.  The half marathon course was challenging, but the race directors did not keep that part a secret.  The water stops were well staffed.  There were ice cold towels and ice cold water bottles at the end of the race.  The medal is great!!  I am looking forward to 2014!

Me with my running (and cheering) boys

My running friend Kris...one day I will finish with her!!

Race Stats:

2:59:24

13.42 minute miles

From the Garmin:

WAY better than I thought at the time.  It's taken me a month to get brave enough to look at the stats.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	2:59:29.2	13.27	13:32
1	11:26.5	1.00	11:27
2	12:21.8	1.00	12:22
3	12:37.5	1.00	12:38
4	12:23.7	1.00	12:24
5	13:26.7	1.00	13:27
6	12:38.0	1.00	12:38
7	13:23.1	1.00	13:23
8	12:34.9	1.00	12:35
9	13:29.8	1.00	13:30
10	15:04.4	1.00	15:05
11	14:34.8	1.00	14:35
12	15:49.6	1.00	15:50
13	16:20.3	1.00	16:21

Back in the Game

So, you probably thought that I disappeared.  Maybe you thought that I ran myself crazy.  Maybe you thought that my children ran me crazy.  Maybe you really didn't care where I was and you were glad to not have to read my drivel.  Whatever you thought, never fear...I'm BACK!

For those that were wondering, no, I didn't stop running.  No, I didn't sell my children on ebay.  You see, I woke up one cold, gray, winter morning back in January and decided that I wanted to go back to school to be a librarian.  So I started taking a class.  I got a little big for my britches and thought I could handle 2 classes for the summer.  I was wrong....very, very wrong.  These two classes are killing me!  All of our friends told my husband that there is only a lot of reading if you do it when he was at the Naval War College last year.  In these classes I am taking, it's a lot of reading and we HAVE to do it....and then write about it.  

But, enough whining.  I've been sucking it up and working for 2 hours a night.  I forgot what my husband looks like.  My goal for this week is to catch up on my blogging.  We've had a lot of adventures in the past month and I can't wait to tell you all about them!

The Need for Speed

I finally got around the the track work that was supposed to be my "long" run this past weekend.  (Weekend = Thursday, apparently.)  As long as it gets done, right.  Since I am supposed to be tapering for my half on Sunday and you can't taper from NOTHING, I figured a couple of miles on the track wouldn't hurt anything.  I put my kiddos and my recently operated-upon husband into bed and headed for the closest track.

I dressed in running shorts and a lightweight tech t-shirt because it was 85 degrees when I started my run.  (More on that choice in a minute.)  However, I was delightfully surprised to discover that the track is completely shaded at 7:30 in the evenings.  There was even a lady walking the track while her 4 kids played on the field in the middle, so I wasn't alone.

It was a bit of a walk from the car, through the grass that really needed to be cut, to the track, so I considered that my warm up.  I dropped my water bottle on a bench and went to a place where the grass had broken through the concrete to start my run.  (This is the track at the high school, but it is not the high school track.  The football and track teams use the stadium at the old high school, which is now the middle school.  This track is probably used twice a year for the mile run, so it is not in the best condition.)  I started the watch and took off for my first half mile.

There was some debate on how I should do this speed work.  I am a loyal Galloway Girl - I follow the intervals like it is my job.  My watch beeps and I walk.  It beeps again and I run....for however far I need to go.  But, I knew going in that I can run a 1/2 mile straight.  Hence the dilemma.  Do I run the half mile without walk breaks or do I use my intervals?   After some discussion with my various running friends, I decided to just run the half mile.  After the first lap, I was pretty sure that the track was short.  I was on pace for a 10 minute mile.  (Yes, I know that I can run a 10 minute mile, but I can do it for exactly one mile and I felt like I was hauling behind while I was doing it.  I didn't feel like that on the track.  I was just running.)  I came back to my little crack of grass after my first half mile and took the split - 5.05.  Then I walked one lap (1/4 mile) at a leisurely pace, got some water, and lined up for another 1/2 mile.   I got faster, but I slowed back down for the last two repeats.  Some of the slowdown can be attributed to talking to the little girls who decided to join me for part of my run.  I guess their mom was going to slow for them.  I am a sucker for little kids (blame that on the teacher in me) and if a kid talks to me, I am going to talk back.  But, I also got tired for the last two repeats.  Hopefully more track work will help that.

After the first two steps of my running, I realized that the running shorts were a gross error in judgment.  I have too much going on in the thigh region for running shorts to work for me.  They were riding up and sticking and rubbing and miserable.   Thank goodness I had the foresight to use Body Glide before I left the house or I would have set the woods on fire with all of that rubbing.  Maybe having to constantly pull my shorts down contributed to the speed (or lack of).  Maybe I am still just slow....who knows??

In short, I liked track work.  2 laps around the track with the promise of a little walk afterwards is totally doable.  I liked the challenge of trying to go faster.  I liked the fact that I could run those half miles without stopping for 4 repeats.  

The down and dirty:

1 - 5.05.10

2 - 4.53.79

3 - 5.02.00

4 - 5:02:25

So, I got faster from the first lap, but slower for laps 2, 3, and 4.  How do I fix that??  (Don't say, "Run faster.")

The hills are alive....

We spent the weekend in the mountains of Pennsylvania.  After a couple of weeks of bad runs and short runs and no runs, I am determined to do some kind of running this weekend.  I may have mentioned that I am running a hilly half marathon this coming weekend.  I am NOT prepared for it.  It's going to be ugly.  Stay tuned for how ugly.  The race recap will be up next weekend.

Anyway....I ran some hills with Kris last week before we left during the return of summer in Virginia.  It was a little rough, so I wasn't sure what would happen on the hills of Pennsylvania.  We were staying at a hotel on a golf course, so I planned to get up early on 2 of the days and run on the cart path.  It fit all of my requirements - it was paved, hilly, and right outside my front door.

The first morning, I got up at 6, got ready, and got moving.  When I walked out the back door of the hotel, my body almost went into shock at the chilly temperatures.  (There was a freeze warning every night we were there.....and we were NOT prepared for winter.)  I started along the path and ran around the back 9.  It was hard, but not impossible.  I stuck with my intervals -2 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking.  If the watched beeped in the middle of the hill, I walked.   If I had to start running in the middle of the hill, I did.    It was just over 2 miles around and back.

I got up and did it again this morning.  I wanted to do 4-5 miles, but I got up late and we had to leave PA by 9:00 (with breakfast and a stop to say goodbye to the grandparents), so I just ran the same cart path....but this time I ran it the opposite way.  No wonder Friday's run seemed easy!  It was mostly downhill.  Running the route in reverse found all the hills.  It was harder today, but I stuck to my intervals and I got it done.

I'm still not ready for the half on Sunday.  It's still going to annihilate me.  But, running was fun this weekend. It was work, don't get me wrong, but I liked being out there.  I looked forward to going.  In fact, I was a little irritated that I couldn't get my track work in like I was supposed to.  So, instead I ran some hills.  

Things I learned this weekend:

- I am a nicer person on days that I run.  It might do everyone some good if I find a running steak so I have to run every day.

- I am a cold weather runner.  I am happier when there is a chill in the air.

- I don't like running in nature.  I like concrete.

- I am never going to be fast.  This is a fact of life.