See? I told you so.

This baby will totally be late. Like me.

Still nothing....3 more days until the "official" due date, but I'm calling it now: LATE, my friends. Don't hold your breath. This is a product of Matt and I, and I should know.

Anyway, I gave up trying to sleep around 4:17am this morning and picked up the book I started last night: The Help. It is really, REALLY good. And I have this thing about books--I read RIDICULOUSLY fast (like, to the point where no one believes I'm really reading it) and I can't put things down until I know how they end. Which is a problem if it's long. I read Sarah's Key in 3 hours and 10 minutes. STRAIGHT. I had to. Now, I started The Help last night around 8:30 and currently, after this morning's 2 hours, I am on page 248. I swear I am actually reading it. Around 7:30, I gave up, and went to Panera to get bagels. Here it is, 8:32am, and Matt and Bug are still sleeping.

Last night, perhaps because I am the size of a walrus, I found myself thinking about how I'm going to get my body back. I'm definitely a little worried about 2 kids, as I've stated before. And people who love to tell me how "hard it will be" are starting to drive me nuts. (Thanks, by the way, to people out there kickin' it with 2 and taking names. You guys rock.) I know it will be a definite adjustment, but I've never backed down from a challenge before and I'm not about to start now.

So, as I've also stated before, my goal will be to qualify for Boston. It's going to take me a bit to get there, as I am hoping to avoid all anxiety issues that I had with Bug. That was rough. But that was different, because I had to work for 4 months instead of 4 weeks before summer break. And it was my first year of AP US History; not my third. I'm in a much better spot now professionally...not to mention, the timing is just plain better. Ever wonder why so many teacher's kids are born in late winter or early spring? ;)

Here's a few things I need to work on after this watermelon decides to make its grand appearance from my ridiculously stretched abdomen:

It will be very hard for me to get to Boston: a combination of skill, determination, sacrifice, and just a good day. I will need every edge I can get. Here's what I'm working on in my head now:

1. I need to get STRONGER. No more slacking on weight training. It will need to be efficient, but it will need to be OFTEN. Please hold me to this. I'm 32, and I know that's the first thing to "go." Plus, it will keep me from injury--especially as I ramp up mileage in late summer and early fall. There is absolutely no reason why I can't do some kind of strength training 2-3 times a week for 20 minutes.

2. I think dropping an additional 5-6 pounds might help, too. My typical racing weight is around 145-147. I noticed a big difference from when I raced slightly higher than this in 2008 to when I raced right at this in 2009. I'm thinking if I could get to around 140, it might really help shave off the minutes or seconds I need. This won't be too difficult, as it leads me to #3...

3. NUTRITION. I am very healthy and eat healthy, too. However, I love my sweets. I simply cannot pass up chocolate or ice cream. I really need to focus on cutting down on the refined sugars and eating as clean as I can. I definitely notice a change in my energy level when I eat well and skip the sugar. Next season, I need to think when I eat the sweet stuff and really try to remember my ultimate goal. I think by cutting down (notice I didn't say OUT--a girl's gotta have some ice cream or a beer from time to time) these empty calories, and combine that with a little more strength, I can drop a few more pounds. 140ish is about as low as I'd like to go, given my height and body type.

I think everything else is there. Treadmill for early morning workouts? Check. Group to run with on the weekends? Check. Masters swim this summer in the early am to push me in the pool? Check. (Yes...I might try Masters again, despite my disastrous start back in '07....where, I've come to realize, I just met the WRONG guy there who rubbed me the WRONG way BIG TIME. But he won't be at this one, so no one will get hurt.) Trainer for indoor quality workouts? Check. Friends to ride with at the drop of a hat during naptime this summer for longer rides? Well.....you can't get everything you want. But I've got almost everything set up here.

Most importantly: awesome husband who supports me? Check.

Very flexible summer job schedule for both of us? Yep.

Amazing family nearby who helps more than they know? Uh-huh.

So this will be a team effort here. If I am lucky enough to get to Boston, it won't be because I did it alone. That's for sure. There are some things I can do by myself, as listed above. But most of this will be made possible by those around me.

So the goal is...

Rev3 70.3 in September: push myself hard and see how it goes--if I'm in PR shape, than go for it. If 2 has been rougher than I expected, not to beat myself up and just have a great race.

Fall Classic Half Marathon: 1:40.

Cleveland Marathon 2011: 3:40.59 or better.

It's aggressive, but you know what? Sometimes I am, too.

So for now, I'm going to waddle and get myself a banana. Hopefully the next time I'm on here, I'll have some news to share about Baby Bean...wish me luck!