Taking Inventory

Stuff I really miss now that I'm pregnant:

1. A nice cold beer during a football game.

2. A nice cold beer during a bonfire.

3. A nice glass of wine with dinner.

4. Full-strength coffee.

5. Yummy cold cuts that are actually cold.

6. Not having to roll out of bed to get up in the morning.

7. A nice, hard, tempo run.

8. Going 20+ mph down the road on my bike.

9. My rear end being it's usual size.

10. Not having thunder thighs.

11. Having normal sized shirts.

12. Being able to paint my own toenails without any trouble.

13. Two words: ALLERGY MEDICINE.

Things that make it all worth it:

1. My healthy baby.

2. My Bug learning new words every day.

3. Kisses and hugs and thinking about having double of all of them.

4. Knowing with 100% certainty that I will be able to swim, bike, and run again, and probably faster.

5. All of this:

Puma Yoga and Pancakes

A few years ago, I met Puma as she was doing some yoga at our school for teachers. She pretty much rocks the house!

Now she has her own studio not too far from me, and I saw that she is offering a Prenatal Yoga Class. After a stressful, crazy, pile-of-paper filled Monday, I thought it would be a nice thing to check out. It was! The class was awesome and I felt so much better afterward. We did lots of stretches for the lower back (which has been starting to hurt a bit), shoulders, and hips. We also did some strengthening exercises to keep us in tip-top shape for labor. I think this will be a Monday evening tradition for me--I even recruited Simply Married, my fellow preggers pal, to come with me in 2 weeks! Yahoo!

I'm pumped this weekend as I'm going to meet a few buddies for a trail run followed by pancakes! Now, I'm not gonna lie--I'm kinda just excited to see my buddies and eat pancakes. I'm not so sure about the run thing. My doctor has told me I need to take it VERY easy as this stupid piggy virus takes a LOT out of you. I think I may have to do lots of walking instead of running. Hopefully they'll still let me hang out with them. ;) Bring on the fall foliage and good times with my buddies Training To Tri, ESpeed, Daisy Duc, Salty, and JenC! I'm sure we'll get some good pictures to share!

And on an unrelated note, I accidentally said "That's what she said" (referring to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, if you must know) in the middle of class today. Um, yeah. Chalk that up on the list of things that will make you lose control of your class for 90 seconds or so. It was pretty funny, though....

Hope training is going well out there in blogland! Enjoy this awesome weather! Here's some pictures my uber-talented Mom took from the Cleveland Metroparks last weekend. Be jealous. Be very jealous.


Cleveland Metro Parks in the Fall

Back in the Saddle...Kinda

First and foremost, thanks for all the well-wishes on my last post! It was kind of scary last week. I'm not gonna lie. We dodged a HUGE bullet over here. My quarantine efforts paired with OCD levels of Lysol wipes and sprays seemed to have worked, as Bug and Matt are walking away with this unscathed say for a slight cold.

Whew.

Baby Z and I are doing well. I sure do have me a kicker in there. Baby's made it very clear that this diet of soup and grilled cheese is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. But, on the bright side, I doubt my OB will be upset at me about my weight gain this month! Boo ya. Silver lining, baby.

I just swallowed my last Tamiflu, but have been ordered by my OB to be out of school for ten days. TEN. FREAKING.DAYS. Do you know how hard it is to get sub plans for 10 days?! Ugh. I'm very lucky and have the best sub in the world, my mentor Barb, for 4 of the 8 days I'm missing. But the other ones I don't, and that's been rough because I can't expect a sub who doesn't even have a history background to be able to jump into AP History and be fine leading a discussion on the Jacksonian Era. So next week should be quite interesting.

This past weekend I totally had some 26.2 fever. It could be because I am seriously popping out like nobody's business--I mean, there ain't NO denying what's going on now. I'm getting huge. And last time I was 23 weeks pregnant it was early June and everyone was gearing up for their seasons, so it is very reassuring that this time, everyone's winding down. I definitely timed this one up better for many reasons, and that's one of them.

So I, like all of you, are looking ahead to next season. And I think I'm really going to go for it.

The theme of next season shall be, From Baby To Boston.

It means that I will have to make the Rev3 NOT my priority, though. It will be a fun race and one I'll enjoy, but I'm going to have to focus more on being the hostess with the mostess to my Team and use it as a long training day. And I'm okay with that. I actually swore that I wouldn't do any 70.3s next year, until the Rev3 had to go and be all in my backyard and stuff. Because I was really thinking that sprints and olys might fit into life better and also help me get into better shape (going harder for a shorter period of time really helps me drop weight). So, I'm making peace with letting go of the Rev3 as an A race.

My focus will be on Columbus. I think I really thrive off the crowds and races with good support. Chicago has perhaps too much crowd for me in a BQ attempt, and Columbus is only 2.5 hours away. I could easily sneak down there for 24 hours or so and be home afterwards to snuggle with my little guys/guy and girl.

(Yes, that's right. I don't know what I'm having. Well, I do...when people ask me, I reply "human." I like to be surprised. Plus, it gives me some motivation to get through the extremely uncomfortable final weeks--not to mention labor...)

Maybe it's because one year ago, I killed my PR there. Maybe it's because it's now a year away, and I'm stuck here with a big ol' butt and the swine flu, but whatever it is, I just think I'm going to do this.

Next year, at this time, I'm going to punch my ticket to Boston.

And that's the end of the discussion.

Buzzkill

Yeah.

Um, so much for feeling good and stuff.

Got off the phone with various docs, and it turns out that I have Influenza Type A and most likely H1N1.

(trying not to freak out)

I sort of knew this would happen. All the Lysol and Purell in the world really can't help you with a building full of coughing, sneezy kids. I did the best I could, but it just wasn't good enough I guess.

The good news is that I have caught it early and will be fine. Baby Z will be fine. My fever has broken and hopefully will stay down.

The bad news is that I still can't help being scared. Bad things happen to pregnant women with swine flu. How could I not worry?

I've basically be quarantined to a room upstairs and unable to see my Bug for more than 30 seconds at a time. That's been the worst. I hear him giggling with his Daddy or saying "Mama?" by my room, and it makes me cry. But I can't let him get this, so I have to hide.

Which is hard, 'cuz look at this face:

22 weeks (almost) and still running...woot!

Whew. So, I've been a full-time working chick before. And then a full-time pregnant working chick. And finally, a full-time working mommy.

But I've never been a full-time working pregnant mommy before. And let me just say it is kickin' ma BUTT. I'm working on figuring out a few shortcuts here and there, but I must admit I'm a little worried about how I'll be able to keep up this pace for the next 4 months.

Gulp.

Good news is: I ran 3 miles today and felt fabulous. When I run, it reminds me that this large, puffy, wheezing state is not forever. And when I see my little Bug, then I remember why this is all worth it.

Bug enjoying a delicious dinosaur cookie during his 2nd birthday party.

Bad news is, my 5K was canceled for next weekend. BOO! I might try to find another one because I'd really like to do a race here just for the sake of being at a race. Plus, next weekend marks the anniversary of my awesome day at Columbus last year. Which just makes me happy. So I'd like to at least run 2.62 miles somewhere, and hopefully a bit more if I can.

In other news, I had to see my weight this past week. Because Bug was FLIPPING. OUT. at the pediatrician's for really no reason at all (he didn't even get any shots or anything!), so the only way we could weigh him was for me to hold him and then subtract my weight.

Ew. Once again, I already outweigh most of Rocky River High School's football team. Sigh.

I think my body is just bound and determined to grow large children. Healthy, which is good, but LARGE. Really hoping this one's not another 10 pounder, but so far it looks like I'm on that track.

In other news, I really wish I could wear pants with a zipper again.

However, I just hit the jackpot of all JACKPOTS at the Westlake kids resale today....I found a tall teacher who was due LAST February and looking to move most of her nice, professional-looking tops from her maternity wardrobe! SCORE! Most of it looks barely worn at all and I got some major steals. So, if me has to wear these big ol' clothes, at least I got a good deal on them.

More money to throw in the bank for race entries for next year. :)

Thinking about everyone racing Kona today...so excited for my boy Tacky! Hope he and everyone else out there has fantabulous days.

The clock's about to strike 22 weeks here...Baby Z is quite the karate-master in there, and I'm hoping to continue running as long as I can. Perhaps I will actually be able to jog the Turkey Dash on Thanksgiving...? I figured I'd be walking by then but today felt so good that maybe I won't have to! Only time will tell!

iloveyoufall.

Fall is here, and it's my favorite season BY FAR!

I love the nice cool nights, am SO done with hot weather (and hot for me is 80 degrees...I know...I would never last a day in the south, fo' sho'). Football games and bonfires and pumpkin stuff. Although this year I must admit I'm missing the beer. Especially a nice pumpkin ale. During a football game.

Sigh.

But, it'll all be worth it, and I'm halfway to baby this week (holy crap, how did THAT happen?!), so YOWZA.

The nice thing about not training my butt off this fall is that I actually have time to do stuff I don't usually get to do. Like, sleep. Or, get work done at work. And even some fun stuff, like taking Bug to Miller's Apple Hill to go apple picking with some of his buddies!




We had a blast. And then tonight, because I had time and don't have to worry about a 3 hour ride tomorrow or a 2 hour run at 6am, I took said apples and made some really tasty apple crisp out of them.

With ice cream. Because the baby needs calcium, people.

Anyways, another great thing about fall is riding and running. Which, I must say, I miss even more than a nice cold beer during a football game. I get jealous every time I see a cyclist out on a crisp, sunny day. I know, I know...I'll have time next year. But fall is my favorite season to ride, and I sort of feel like I'm missing out on that.

I'm thinking about next year, too. Now, here's the deal: I have never had 2 kids before. So I don't know how it's going to be, or how it's going to work. I know professionally I'm in a much better spot now with 3 years of AP US History under my belt and taking the RIGHT half of the year off, so I feel really good about that. When I go back to school next year, I don't think it will be quite as hard as it was the first time around, nor will I have as many battles. So, the next thing I'm thinking about is training.

Because that's how I operate. I'm a triathlete. Planning is what we do best, right?

So FOR SURE I'm in for the Rev3 Cedar Point half, and I am SO STOKED for this. It's going to be a blast to show off the NEO to all my teammates. And, I firmly believe September is the most gorgeous month here, too, so it will all around rock. I will also have March, April, and May to recover and just get a base back, and then June, July, and August to ramp up the training--which is perfect because I'll be off school and can (try to!) time up workouts with naps and stuff.

However, I need to recognize that this little bean might not be as easy as The Bug. And that's not anyone's fault...it might just be the way it is. So, here's me OFFICIALLY giving myself permission to LET THINGS SLIDE and deal with that.

Remind me of that, K?

The next thing I'm thinking about (because that's how I roll) is a nice fall running race. I love me the fall marathons. I do best running in the fall. So, ideally, I'd like to do a fall full, and most likely Columbus again. I know the course, I have tons of buddies in Cbus, and it is a course that was really good to me last time around. REALLY good.

And of course, if I'm going to run the full, then I might as well try to BQ.

Right?

But part of me thinks that's a lot to bank on for now. Again, I've never had 2 kids before AND worked full time while marathon training. So, here we go again: this is officially me GIVING MYSELF PERMISSION to do a half in the fall if it's too crazy. Marathons come and go. There's plenty in the spring I could do. And sanity is really quite important.

So, in my perfect world, here's what I'd do next year:

February 17th: have a happy, healthy little bean
April-ish: start working out and dropping the pounds/building the base
July: be in full training mode for Rev3
September: kick butt at Rev3 and PR
October: Run a 3:40:59 or better in Columbus

That's the perfect scenario. And dreaming about that makes me happy, as my butt gets bigger and this baby is bound and determined to give me MORE ZITS THAN AN 8TH GRADE BOY.

But logical me is saying it one more time here (which makes three, if you're counting): I need to be FLEXIBLE and ROLL WITH WHAT LIFE GIVES ME. It's not just about me. I need to make my goals work with my life, not dominate and frustrate my life. So I'll remember that.

And if I don't, then you will, right?

Because that's easier written than done.

Falling off the wagon

Well, I certainly haven't eaten very well the past few days.

It's just that this BABY seems to make me SO FREAKIN' HUNGRY. And eat things like chips and salsa mixed with Velveeta.

Yes, I said Velveeta. Me, who likes to only eat whole foods. FAKE FRICKEN CHEESE.

What's gotten into me?!

The good news is, the Velveeta (or, as it says on the package, "pasteurized processed cheese food") is gone as I used it up to make a casserole for Matt's Mom and Dad. She'll be coming home from the hospital--again--tomorrow. It's been a rough week over here for us, involving a trip to the ER for Matt's mom and a car that broke down in the hospital parking lot late Wednesday night. Stressful for me, but doubly so for Matt. Ugh. So, my eating went by the wayside a bit.

I'm a little afraid for this week's weigh-in.

But never fear--I made myself some healthy quinoa tastiness to fuel me up all week. And the running's been going pretty well. And the Velveeta is gone.

And tomorrow, Matt's mom will be home again. Hopefully for good this time.

So, things are starting to look up.

Baby Z is kicking up a lot now! I am excited to see the little bean on the ultrasound tomorrow. Hopefully all will be well in the ever-growing uterus. I feel huge, although I know I don't look as large and in charge as I feel.

The weather has been wonderful, and it's been great for the running. Running/walking has gotten me through the stress of this week--that and some awesome friends and family. So that's good. Although, I have to admit, it's weekends like this where I really, REALLY miss riding my BMC super duper fast down Route 2 toward the Valley for a good 2 hours.

Sigh.

But good things come to those who wait. And so, with that, I'll have to sign off and wait until 3pm tomorrow, when I get to see my little bean jumping around on a screen again.

Happy training to all, and to all a good night!

Me, Bug, and the Bump

I've been (finally!) getting my energy back, and we've been having some awesome weather (which means, for me--low 70s in the day, sunny, and near 50 at night. perfect.) so I've been taking advantage of this and running with Bug and the Bump after work!

It totally figures that the one he smiles in, my head's cut off. Gah. :)

Yesterday, we went for a three mile run. The pace is quite snail-ish, but it's still fun. Bug looks for "PLANES!" every two seconds and we both drink from a water bottle. The only trouble is that, since my inner thighs are fast approaching the size of metropolitan Akron, running shorts are not really my friend right now. Do you know how NOT fun it is to run while running shorts are creeping up your thighs? Do you know HOW DEJECTING THAT IS? Sigh...

So today, I decided to try a different approach. I wore my Ironman Wisconsin bike shorts since this weekend it will be three years (wow!) since I traveled on those roads. Bug, the Bump and I ran up to the grocery store to pick up a box of whole wheat pasta for a recipe I was trying. And just to keep a sense of humor about my increasing pudgy-ness, I wore this:

I got a few chuckles at the grocery store! You gotta keep your sense of humor, right?

So hopefully I'll continue these runs as long as I can. I'm thinking I might invest in a support band to help with any back pain, since back pain is what pretty much stopped me in my tracks around month 7 last time around.

The Bump's not such a bad running partner, you know?

Half-Caffs and Sunny Runs

So I decided that since I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooowiped out from school, I'd introduce a little half-caff to my day. My doctor says that one cup of regular is fine, but I'm too much of a wuss to do that. Since the mere smell of coffee was enough to make me dry heave for 3 months, I figured a half-caff would do the trick.

It was WONDERFUL. Hello, old friend.

Made it through the school day with no problemo. Even had enough energy afterward to load Bug into the Trusty Bob stroller for a slow jog to and from the park!

My runs are getting slower and slower, but I decided to just count my minutes as "maternity miles." I got this idea from the Runner's World Guide to Running and Pregnancy--a MUST READ for any of you preggo chicks out there. Basically, you take your average running pace (mine's usually around 8:30-9 or so) and once you hit that time, it's a MATERNITY mile. So my 40 minute SLOW jog counts not as the 3 miles and change that it is, but as 4.5 MATERNITY MILES.

See? Good for the soul. :)

While running, I thought about how much I can't wait to race again. I mean REALLY race. Not just show up, which is what I kinda will do for the Spirit Run 5K and hopefully the Turkey Dash.

Part of me misses Ironman. Once you have that day, and experience all the highs, the lows, and the finish line, you crave it like my pregnant brain craves cheese.

(Seriously. I might be giving birth to a mouse.)

But I know that I don't miss what I would need to do to get there. I have zero--and I mean ZERO--desire to put in the 100 mile rides, the weekends where I leave at 6:30am on Saturday and return feeling like I've been hit by a truck at 5pm to go straight to an ice bath, food, and bed.

I just wanna play with my little Bug some, you know?

So I know that the half distance is just perfect for me now. And I am so excited to host Team Evotri at the BRAND NEW Rev3 race at my old stomping grounds, Cedar Point. The plan is to get a condo, relax on the Lake, and after the race pretend I'm 22 again and at the Islands.

(Well...maybe I'd better not go THAT far. Let me just say what we all used to say: "What happens on the Island, STAYS ON THE ISLAND.)

So bring on the maternity miles. I may be slow, but I have next season on the horizon. And I think I might have felt my first kick last night, too.

Life is good.

Happy New Year

Thanks for the kind words on the last post. We are hanging in here and staying positive. I am kind of private when it comes to this stuff so please know I don't think I'll be sharing too much here, but I really appreciate all your thoughts, prayers, and just kind words. Thank you. Stage 3 uterine cancer has met its match, and that match is a WHOLE BUNCH OF ZIEMNIKS. We don't take things lying down.

We had a little vacay visiting Matt's sister and brother in law in Charlotte, NC. Bug did a FANTASTIC job on the plane--WAY better than his Mommy. I seriously HATE flying. Literally almost pass out every time we take off and land. I know, statistics show, blah blah blah, but it's just the lack of control that drives me NUTS. But, despite that, we had a fantastic time hanging out on Lake Norman and relaxing. It was a nice way to spend the last few days before school.

Call me crazy here--I fully admit that I am--but I am kind of happy to be back at school. Check me in a few weeks, right? But it's been fun to have a new crop of faces and some old ones, too. I have a record number of AP kids signed up for History at the moment--57 to last year's 37--so we'll see if they can stick it out. I usually lose a few in the first weeks when they see the work load, but so far these guys are troopers! :) It hasn't been TOO hot, either, which is nice. I've been taking Bug to the pool after school so we get to pretend it's still summer. Awesome.

Being pregnant when you're used to training for long-distance events makes you really appreciate free time. It's been kind of nice that I have been able to do things that I don't normally get to do during training. For instance, I've had lots more time to read. I just finished In Defense of Food (very interesting), am currently working on The Other Boleyn Girl (slightly trashy--we'll call it history-trash), and next up on the docket is Escaping North Korea. I'm pretty excited for that one. Best Friend is trying to convince me to read all the Twilight books, and swears she is going to just drop them off sometime, to which my response is I AM NOT TWELVE. AND VAMPIRES ARE STUPID. And that's my story and I'm sticking to it, so don't even try to convert me. :)

Also, Best Friend and I have decided to start "Restaurant Club." She's super crazy busy, and I usually am too but have an extra 10 hours or so in my week until March, so we decided that one night in the last week of each month we shall have a meeting of the esteemed Restaurant Club. In this way, we know we have a friend date at least once a month. The rules are as follows:

1. NO chain restaurants. There will be no Applebee's here.
2. It must be in a developing area, like downtown, Ohio City or Tremont, and preferably locally owned, so that we can help give back to the local economy and
3. At least one of us can't have eaten there before.

So far we've tried Luxe and Momocho's. Luxe was AMAZING. I loved it. Momocho's was very good, but we both decided our husbands would not like it. However, it'd be a great place to have some drinks and chips with all kinds of gourmet guac. She's picking the next one, so I'll let you know where we end up! Cleveland area peeps, feel free to give suggestions!

And on a training front, here's the funny thing: I am not working out NEARLY as much as I did with Bug, yet have gained less. And that's what we call IRONIC. All kidding aside, I'm still focusing on eating as healthy as I can and trying to move 3-4 days a week. Running is getting slower, but is still happening (yay!) and swimming will happen as long as the outdoor pool is open for sure. It will be harder to get to the indoor pool on a regular basis but I will shoot for 1-2 times a week. I've been doing some strength training still (squats, lunges, light arm weights) because I think being stronger will help with the back pain that I already know is on its way in about two months. Plus, it can't hurt to be stronger for labor, either.

Lastly, I have a new goal: I am going to do the Rocky River Spirit Run in mid-October. It's a 5K, and will be later in my pregnancy than the last 5K I did preggers, so we'll see if I can actually run most of it or if I'll need to run/walk. Either way, HEY I HAVE A RACE COMING UP! And that's pretty exciting.

Now it's time to go enjoy a tasty bagel that Matt brought for me, and perhaps watch some Elmo until the sun comes out here soon. :)

Happy training and racing to all, and especially good luck and tailwinds to my awesome teammate Rural Girl tomorrow as she takes on IM LOU! Can't wait to follow her all day--GO RURAL GIRL!!

The Fight of Our Lives

Suddenly, your world can change in an instant.

For us, it was last Wednesday.

Cancer sucks. There's no other way to put it. And I am angry and sad and frustrated and scared that I am staring it in the face yet again, as I watch another loved one wearily take a deep breath and get ready to fight.

This will be a hard fight, but a fight that I know we will win. That we must win.

I'm seeing our prayers already working, and I just hope that they continue to turn the tide our way.

So, between hospital visits and tears and we-can-do-this-it'll-be-okays and anxiously waitingwaitingwaiting for results and biopsies and CAT scans, I can't say much else right now about triathlon. It might take me a bit here.

Right now, we're all gearing up for the fight of our lives.

And I'm really wishing I could just go to the track and run 800 repeats until my legs shook, until I couldn't breathe anymore, until I could barely stand. Because that's about all I think that would make it feel a little better. I tried to swim the other day, and I could barely move. I felt like it was quicksand. And, unfortunately, running to exhaustion is not allowed at the moment. Until, like, March.

So I'm going to have to channel this nervous energy somewhere else. Today I did it by taking Jackson to the dancing fountains at the park, and then to a pizza party, and then to the park again and a little DQ kiddie cup afterwards. And I said, "can you give Mommy a kiss?" to which he usually just leans in for a hug, but today, no....today, he puckered up and laid a big slobbery one on my cheek.

And I teared up and smiled, and thought, "this is even better than the 800s."

To everyone with a loved one fighting cancer out there, we're all in this together. Let's roll up our sleeves and take care of business.

NOW.

Timing is EVERYTHING

You know what?

I SO TIMED THIS UP BETTER THAN LAST TIME.

Why is that, you may ask?

Well, last time I went to school the first month, then was off for four, and then finished the last semester. Which meant quite a bit of battling with "Your sub didn't do it this way...." blah blah blah. I vowed next time to really try and have a spring baby. Ever wonder why so many teachers have kids in March and April? Yeah. That's it.

And personally, I won't miss a race season!

Yeah, I know. That sounds kinda silly. Is it really that important, you might ask?

YES IT IS SO BACK OFF.

;)

No, seriously. Back in '07, I was coming off an absolute HIGH of Ironman. I can move mountains! Discover new mathematical equations! Find the answer to world peace!

(okay, maybe not quite that high....but you get the picture)

And then I had to virtually STOP. And I have to admit, it was rough. Especially with it being my first one, because I didn't fully understand just how amazing the end would be. It was hard to sit on the sidelines after I got to be a part of something so big, you know?

This year, I got to have a season. It was early, but I got to have a few big races. New Orleans was just a party and I did well despite my training restrictions and stuff. I had a BLAST at that race. And then 6 weeks later, I got to hammer it out in Cleveland. I had a huge day there, and set my post-baby half marathon PR a full 8 minutes lower than my pre-baby PR. It was like my body was telling me, "See...I told you so. Now shut up and don't worry the next time, k?"

I left out of my race report something pretty big that had a ginormous impact on the outcome of that race for me: what was going through my head the last 2.5 miles. I was hurting, I was slowing down, and it was starting to suck. But you know what I kept thinking?

"If you're lucky, THIS IS IT. This is the LAST TIME YOU'LL GET TO HURT LIKE THIS IN A WHILE. You love this hurt. You will miss this hurt. ENJOY THIS HURT, and HTFU. GOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOGOOOOOOOOO."

I left if off the race report, because I didn't know how lucky I'd get.

(Turns out, pretty freakin' lucky.)

So I got to really enjoy that pain. It helped me keep going, because I knew how much I'd miss it now. But I know the races aren't going anywhere, and this time I really understand that I will come back stronger.

And you'd better believe I'm signing up for the new Rev3 70.3 in my backyard next year.

Yep, this timing is much better indeed.

This Time Around...

So, I'm finally starting to feel better (yay!) and I'm hoping a few things are different this time.

Namely, I don't gain a small country's worth of weight.

Here's the deal.

I totally wasn't going to even pay attention to my weight this time, because last time no matter WHAT. I. DID. I just gained and gained and gained. Ran through my 7th month. Swam a mile 4 times a week. Ate mostly good stuff. It didn't seem to matter. Then I lost it all, and five more, and a dress size. So I had totally made peace with the fact that my weight might just be what it is.

Then I met with my doc.

To spare you the gory details, it seems that I had some stuff happen in my delivery of Jackson that I wasn't even fully aware of. (And that's probably a good thing, in this case) He was SO BIG. And your chances of having a baby that's bigger the second time are high. Which means if all goes the same, I'm looking at having a minimum 10 pound baby.

To which, she said, if that's the case...she'll strongly recommend a C-section.

Say huh?

No. NONONONONONONO I do not want a C-section if at all possible. Partly because I like to keep things as natural as possible, partly because I am a petrified freak who can barely give blood without passing out so how on earth am I ever going to have my insides taken out and sewn back in?!, and partly because of the recovery time.

And I'm just scared of it. That's mostly it.

So, I asked what I needed to do to avoid this. I know there is a great deal out of my control. But she did say that the one--the only thing, really--in my control is to watch my weight. Now, she could have been blowing smoke up my bum here, but she claims that for some women, there's a hormone in the placenta that makes it virtually impossible for carbs to be changed into energy. It just turns straight into fat.

Which is awesome. Because for the past 6 weeks or so, all I could get down were starchy carbs. And then I'd sleep for 2 hours.

But that does make some sense...because I swear I did everything "right" last time and still gained 55 freaking pounds. So, I decided to give it a shot. The only thing in my control here is to eat as healthy as I can. That's it. It still might not work, and I accept that.

But it's worth a shot.

So I've been logging what I'm eating at babyfit.com, which is a great site full of good stuff. And, I've had enough energy to get back into workouts this week, which is awesome. I feel a little bit more like myself every day. And the great part about doing squats and lunges is that I don't even need to hold extra weights! Because I already am holding the extra weight in my stomach! And butt! And hips! BRIGHT SIDE, people!

All kidding aside, I'm able to run about 3 miles (slowly), eat things that aren't just carbs (yay!), and my arms and legs are sore from some strength exercises. Almost like a regular workout day!

But you know what? This time I am definitely trying to enjoy the ride a bit more. Watching the little bean dancing around in there today at my ultrasound makes everything better. And when all is said and done, as long as that bean comes out healthy--even if it means out of my nostril--then that's what matters.

But I'm still gonna try to do it my way.

LONG overdue race report

All three girls: Madison, Ashley, and Brittney post-race--all triathletes! So proud of them!

So, life got in the way a bit this week, and I am very overdue on my race report from the Huntington Sprint Triathlon that my three girls did.

The good news is that my awesome buddy, aka Coach Eric, aka TriEricTri took care of a fantastic race report on our Evotri2 blog. Check it out!

To make a long story short, we are SO PROUD OF THESE GIRLS. They all finished, and all did so well. Brittney was the 8th OVERALL FEMALE (I do believe we have created a monster! We'll see her in the Olympics someday), Madison was 2nd in her age group, and Ashley displayed some SERIOUS Iron-Mental-Toughness after getting a flat halfway through the bike, then RIDING THE REST ON IT, and then still finishing despite super tired legs. We'll just call her Chrissie Wellington. :)

Oh, and I just checked results again...Brittney was the FASTEST FEMALE ON THE RUN. Her 20:58 5K beat EVERY. SINGLE. WOMAN. out there. Including the top three females! Very exciting. :)

SO...I'll just share my pics here. For the full report, go here.

It was so much fun to work with these girls, despite my almost-hurling and crazy fatigue, and I'm glad I can at least explain why now! I think all three of them have definitely caught the tri-bug.

Congratulations, ladies!

This is our own little version of the Monona Terrace...

And this is pretty much my backyard. I LOVE LOVE LOVE where I live! :)

Pre-race announcements

Brittney, Ashley, and Madison all ready to rock!

The awesome TriEric helps Ashley and Brittney with their bike adjustments

Brittney absolutely SMOKING the field with a blazing fast 5K and the win for both the 15-18 AG AND the 19-24 AG--and 8th overall!

Madison coming out of the water after a great swim!

Ashley looking confident and ready to go!

Madison and a few of her buddies show off their body marking!

Brittney and a former CC teammate at the start.

Again, I could not be prouder of these girls. They put in the miles, prepared, and dealt with what the day gave them. They all displayed a great deal of mental toughness and physical talent. Congratulations to our three triathletes!

Evotri Youth Triathlon Sunday

Okay, back to a little regularly scheduled triathlon talk!

So, I had really high hopes for the Evotri Youth Initiative this year. I started a blog here, and contacted 28 different coaches in 5 school districts to recruit new triathletes. But I found that the whole concept of "summer training" seemed to scare a lot off. The coaches were afraid that they'd have to do something, despite my insistence that I would take care of the workouts. The 42 kids I had express interest managed to find excuses of why they couldn't make it--many legit, but excuses nonetheless. And then, to top it all off, one of our most dedicated awesome kids from last year got a nasty injury and has had a boot all summer--poor girl...ugh. So I was kind of bummed out.

But, I keep trying to remind myself, that this is why everyone in the world is NOT a triathlete. It is not easy. It requires hard work and consistent dedication. And to that end, I have three very persistent, talented, dedicated, all-around awesome girls who are making it to the starting line this Sunday.

And I'm so proud of them.

Brittney is a runner who is wicked talented. She's put a lot of time in on the bike and done awesome at the open water swims we've held this year. She has a borrowed road bike to ride on courtesy of some awesome people and I have a feeling she's just going to smoke this course. She's a super coachable kid, and is always willing to put in extra time and effort to make herself better and encourage others.

Ashley is a repeat from last year, and she's so excited to do her second triathlon! She bought herself a nice bike because she enjoyed the sport so much and really wants to continue it (yay! one of my goals) and has bounced back from an injury requiring surgury and a wheelchair this winter. Ashley always has a smile on her face and approaches each workout with determination. I can't wait to see how she does Sunday!

And Madison is a freshman from another school district that joined us this year. Here's a girl who doesn't know me, doesn't know Ashley or Brittney, and just pours her heart and soul into training. I am SO PROUD of Madison! She has come so far from our first open-water swim. I know she'll do so well this season in Cross Country (even if it is for our rival high school!) and I can't wait to see all her hard work pay off Sunday!

So there is one more thing we're doing--a pasta dinner tomorrow. We're going to pick up packets and then meet for some pasta, garlic bread, and other goodies and talk about race day. It will be fun to celebrate all the hard work the girls have done and live vicariously through them as they get to experience a race. I can't wait!

Last but not least, I have to say HUGE UPS to my triathlon big bro and sis, Eric and Aimee. They have been phenomenal this year and not only have trained for major races themselves, but given their time and energy to training with these three girls. I simply can't say enough about the selflessness of these two people. There is no way I could have done this without their help.

No way.

I know the girls appreciate everything you guys have done, but that pales in comparison to how much I value your friendship and your help this summer. Thanks for everything. To the millionth power.

Now, onto race day...and can I just say how excited I am, despite the fact that I'm not racing?! This is going to be awesome. I'll report after the race Sunday with lots of pictures and stories!

GO GET 'EM, LADIES! :)

From June 10th...

Got home from the doc's this morning--with a picture, a heartbeat, and lots of smiles. So I can tell you now. :) Sorry--had to pull it until we told one more family member! No more secrets. hee hee
________________________________________________________
from June 10th...

"Sixth Sense"

I knew it.

I just knew it.

Two days ago, I did a run with Matt and Bug, and I could barely. keep. up. I was like, uhhhhhh, what is this?! Struggling for a 9:45/min mile? Are you freaking kidding me?

Last night, I felt all huge and bloated after a delicious lunch of peanut butter chocolate chip pancakes with my work buddies (gotta love final exam week!), and I was disgusted with myself. It was a lovely evening, so after I put Bug to bed, I thought I'd go out and hammer a few miles.

Or so I thought.

The first mile felt like I was laboring, so I expected to see a sub-9. It was 9:15. And it went downhill from there. I struggled, and I mean struggled, to stay around 9:40s. And after a half hour, I was DONE.

What was happening? How on earth did I go from running 13.1 miles at a pace of 8:10/mile THREE WEEKS AGO to THIS?!

Wait....really?

We're not THAT lucky, are we?

Come to think of it...I have been pretty freaking tired the past week or so.

Noooooo.....really?

*gimme the stick...where's that stick thingy...*

PREGNANT

And suddenly, it all made perfect sense. And I was overwhelmed with a sense of joy and excitement and fear and love and here we go again no turning back now and sheer and utter amazement.

This time, I really know what this means. And although part of me is scared, because let's be honest, I feel like I'm just starting to get the hang of this thing...the thought of my little Bug being a big brother just makes me feel more love than I can explain.

Time for the next journey...destination, February 17, 2010.

I realize this goes against the entire concept of a blog...

...but this is actually pretty funny.

It is funny, because we all probably know "that guy" (or girl to be fair) that totally does it. And I think to a certain degree we all do this on our blogs, right? But if we all ONLY talked about it all day long forever and ever and ever...man, we'd be boring peeps, yo.

It kinda made me think how my blog, although I try to keep as honest and real as possible, is really only a small chunk of me. Perhaps it's this whole yin-yang of an introvert/extrovert thing I've got going on. Most people think I am quite extroverted upon meeting me, but only a choice few know me very well. I do admire those who can truly blog about EVERYTHING. Cuz that is so not me.

Anyway, thought it would be good for a chuckle, no? Now get out there and RUN. But for cryin' out loud, please talk about other things too, K?

:)

Here's a topic I love: ENCHILADAS. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMENCHILADAS. Got to share it with the family on Sunday, and this included Bug's First Sombrero Experience.
Time to go (attempt) to burn off those calories...!

July 5, 1984

What the Red Ryder BB Gun was to Ralphie, so was the Thriller Tape to 7 year old me.

It remains one of my most memorable and favorite birthday gifts ever.

Kickin' it old school and toothless,

TST

Somewhere, a cracked out mouse is RUNNING

So I just went downstairs to get my stuff ready for tomorrow's brick, and lo and behold.....

A FREAKING MOUSE GOT INTO MY BENTO BOX.

And apparently has a thing for Chocolate Gu. Not so much the Apple Cinnamon Hammer Gel, which is rather surprising.

LITTLE REMNANTS OF CHOCOLATE GU PACK EVERYWHERE.

Arg!

Somewhere, there is a mouse running a marathon now and setting a PR...

Summah Summah Summah TY-YIIIIIIME....

Waving to all his fans on the Tour de France...

So much to do, so little time to blog!

Lovin' this summer thing, yo.

Had my 10 Year College Reunion at Miami last weekend. Seriously...how did that happen? We had a blast and generally acted like idiots for 48 hours...which is pretty much how we acted from the ages of 18-22. Or arguably, still act. Which was super awesome.


Bug started his first swim lessons this week, and although he's a bit young to follow really structured directions, we did blow bubbles today. Which is what I call a BIG STEP! And his favorite part of class is to hunt for "buried treasure," which are nickels in the zero-depth area. He's getting braver every time, and I'm so proud of my little fishy!

I've been working with my bro TriEric and his wife Aimee to try to really amp up the involvement in Evotri2: Tomorrow's Triathletes, Today. That's what I'm calling my Battle of the Schools. The weather hasn't been cooperating, as our first brick was thunderstormed out on Friday (BOOOOOOOOOO) but things look great weather-wise for the next week of workouts or so. We just need to keep those thunderstorms at the APPROPRIATE TIME, YOU HEAR ME MOTHER NATURE? Yeah, I said it.

Anyways, to see what is going on there, check out the blog I put together for the kids here. We've got over 30 kids expressing interest, but of course work and summer vacay always gets in the way. If we had 10 kids actually make it all the way to the starting line, I'd be really pumped! I am just excited to have another school on board this year, too. So as soon as I have some pictures to post, I will!

SUPER stoked for WIBA this weekend--old buddies, can't wait to see ya again! And can't wait to meet some new friends, too! I'm sure we'll have about a gazillionbilliontrillion pics to post next week. Giddyup!

Pencils Down

My life is measured in school years. And another one has just closed.

There's a certain familiarity to it; predictability and routine, but also never the same day twice. Never the same student twice. This, I think, is part of the reason I love what I do. Every year, I walk out of a clean classroom--all the posters taken down, the secret initials written in chalk on my board by kids who think I'll never find 'em, the scantrons in the recycle bin, and the students gone. Just me, and 31 empty desks.

Pencils down.

I always get a teensy bit sad--actually, I don't think sad's the way to describe it...wistful, maybe?--when I walk out of that room the last time every June-whateverth, because I know I'm another year older. Another year has gone by, and I'm that much different than I was when I walked in there.

But there's something magical about an empty classroom. It just begs to be filled. And I know when I lock the door for the last time that I'll unlock it and enter in August even more older, and hopefully wiser. Under different circumstances. Still teaching about the Enlightenment and the Gilded Age and the Cold War, but hopefully not the same lessons. And definitely not to the same audience.

I've now been teaching almost one third of my entire life, which is hard to believe. Next weekend I'm heading down to Miami for my ten-year reunion. Where my school year ended, and I packed everything up, and I said goodbye to my good friends that last day after the caps and gowns were put away and the cheap beer had been tapped out, and drove away. And then--only then--I cried. I knew it was the end of something, and I just didn't know what was next. I was afraid that the quote "best four years of your life" end quote were over. What could be better than that?

The good news is what was next has been even more amazing than my four years there. I didn't know it then, but I can appreciate that now, as I'm knocking on the door to 32 years old and walking out of my tenth school year as a teacher.

Yesterday I ran a new loop, which is different for me. As stated before, I enjoy routine. I like the same patterns. I like to know where I am, at what time, and how that compares to last run. So for me to branch out and try a new loop was definitely different. And, here's the kicker--I didn't even take the Garmin. Type-A TST put it away and just ran for fun. Such will be my runs for a while here, as I am in definite need of a break. I have some pretty lofty goals in mind, but I need a bit of time here to recharge the batteries.

I'm reading Dara Torres' biography right now, which seriously is making me want to swim every. single. second. I can, because it reminds me of when I used to watch swimming as a kid. I LIVED for the Summer Olympics. I remember watching in on our TV in our old house--the '88 Olympics, on my parent's small TV in their bedroom. I grew up worshiping the likes of Dara Torres and Summer Sanders. I loved to swim, and am well aware that I never met my full potential in that sport. Just when I needed to step it up a notch and swim year-round--right around, oh, age 12-13 or so--along came band and cheerleading and softball and boys and all the other reasons why I didn't want to stare at a black line for hours on end. I don't really regret it, since I think about all the things I got to experience instead. But I've accepted that I never got to see how far I'd go in that sport. Conversely, I'm on an absolute thrill-ride seeing how far I've come in a sport I NEVER thought I'd enjoy--running. So it all evens out, I think, in the end.

I'm only halfway through, but I love DT even more now that I'm reading this book. I think I can really identify with her in a lot of ways. Not in the 24 second 50 meter way. (In my dreams....) But check this out....sound familiar?

"One thing I learned from being a pregnant athlete and then an athlete-mom is that when it comes to women, sports, and child-bearing, often people's first reaction is to say, "No you can't." You can't do those exercises. You can't go that fast. You can't win that race. But most of the time that negativity is not based on fact. It's based on ignorance or fear. So I chose to do my own research. I wanted to learn what my own body could take." --page 71

Well played, DT. Well played indeed.

Here's another one I like:

"...other people were constantly insinuating that age did matter, that even at 33 I was too old to compete. "Don't you feel terrible in the water?" people would ask. "You know, being so old and out of the water for so many years?" Questions like that really bothered me until I realized they had very little to do with me. Our whole culture is so terrified of growing older, so sure that life goes to hell progressively once you pass 25 or 30 or 35--whatever number people have stuck on their heads. But I came to see such negativity as a reflection of other people's fears about life, a window into the ways in which so many of us are limiting ourselves and selling ousrselves short. I decided, back then, not to live that way." --page 109

I know now that the best is yet to come. I've been so lucky and blessed so far, in racing but really just in life in general, and it's easy to get stuck in the routine and enter another age group and feel like, "That's it...the good times/races/days are over." But that, my friends, is total bull. One day, I'm going to qualify for the Boston Marathon. One day, I might even become the swimmer I could have been 20 years ago. Or one day, maybe I'll even hit a home run over the fence. (My one and only lonely home run on record was inside the park.) Who knows? I don't know what I'm doing next week...or certainly next school year.

But I know one thing for sure: I am not going to slow down.

Extra protein with a side order of gills

The end of school is almost upon me, and I have about 3.7 nanoseconds to breathe and post, so I thought I'd update you on what I've been up to since kickin' it at the Cleveland Half Marathon three weeks ago!

It's midgie aka "Canadian Soldier" season here in the NEO.

They look like skeeters, but don't bite and don't live more than 24 hours. They are just here to swarm black clouds and become fishy food for Lake Erie. I hate to complain about 'em, because they are a sign of a healthy Lake Erie. However, they swarm in nasty black clouds and you can even HERE THE BUZZING in the evening of said clouds. If I hadn't lived hear Lake Erie most of my life, I'd be seriously freaked out. They're not quite as bad as this picture, but you get the point..

See, they are good for something! A-ha, Stupid Yankees. :)

So why, then, did I think it would be a good idea to do a ride on Route 2 during Midgie season?

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Bugs. TASTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Also, I decided to act like a triathlete and actually swim.

Do you know how many times I've been in the pool since IM New Orleans 70.3?

In honor of freshman final exams, I'll give you a multiple choice question:

A. ONCE.
B. FORTY-TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN.
C. NINETY TWO.
D. ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Yes, friends...it is sadly ONCE. So I knew I had it coming for me when I got in the 25 meter outdoor pool on Saturday. I was literally afraid to start swimming! My mush-tastic arms didn't know what was about to hit them.

I did 2000 meters (slowly and out of breath) and it took me just over 31 minuts to swim a mile, which normally is HORRID for me, but all things considered I was okay with that. Now that I have access to a pool from 6am until 9pm, there are NO EXCUSES for me not to hit it at least 3-4 times a week. Bring back my gills, please!

So if you want a non-traditional protein shake made with midgies, just let me know. Otherwise, I need to get ready to hang on those Wisconsin Hills at WIBA--giddyup!

Race Report: Cleveland Half Marathon 2009

Well, no pics of me yet, so you'll just have to hear me ramble. :)

Anyway, let me first say a huge shout out to all my Second Sole and CTC peeps who ran yesterday. I've run this race (half and full) several times and I think despite it having several bugs (like, um, THE FREAKING PACE CAR FOR THE 10K GOING THE WRONG WAY THREE YEARS AGO) it IS getting better. And I really do want my hometown race (which is 32 years old!) to do well, ya know? This year the atmosphere was awesome. You could tell they had really worked to embrace the Rock and Roll theme, and it showed. The course was full of spectators for most of the way which was nice. It's come a long way since I hobbled down a lonely, uninviting path and had to beg for a finisher's medal in my 5:14 marathon back in 2002.

Also, a HUGE shout out and thank you to Coach Emily. She's been amazing and knows just how hard to push me so I don't pansy out, while at the same time understanding my crazy insane time constraints. Thanks for everything! :)

So my super goal was 1:45. This was the upper limit of what I knew was possible, given that I'm 6 weeks past New Orleans and didn't really get many long runs in. My speed's been kickin', but I wasn't sure how my endurance would be or just how long I could hang on for dear life. So the plan was to go with the 3:30 pace group and hang as long as I could.

Race day was COLD (44 degrees) and clear skies. Which means PERFECTPERFECTPERFECT! for me. The poor guy next to me at the start line was from South Carolina and was shivering as I stood in my tank top and shorts. He asked me if I was crazy and/or cold. I told him, no...see...this is what I call KARMA from New Orleans! I put in my suffering death march down in the Big Easy. Now it's time for this YANKEE to kick some booo-tay in the cold!

The gun went off and I just KNEW it was going to be a good day. I knew even before then, actually. I knew I would PR (my previous PR was 1:50.06 from last year), and it was just a matter of how much.

I'll let my mile splits tell the story...

1--8:14.

Kinda crowded and crazy, but felt nice and easy. We ran down by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and around Cleveland Browns Stadium.

An evening shot of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

We got a nice little climb back into town and then ran down all the fun little establishments on West 6th in the Warehouse District where I used to cause trouble on a weekly basis. It was a beautiful, clear, sunny morning, and after about 3 blocks I was nice and warm like I knew I would be. Today was going to be a good day; I just knew it.

You can see where we ran around the stadium and back up to the city here. Oh Browns...so much to say. There's always next...decade?

2--7:55.

My mind's jaw dropped a bit--I guess I didn't expect to see any sevens, which is crazy when you're going for an 8 minute/mile pace. Did I think I'd be all 8s? Still, it felt a little scary for me to flirt with disaster at a pace that used to be just a few seconds slower than my 5K pace. We ran by Jacobs Field (or Progressive Field--whatever. Still the Jake.) and The Q, where Game One starts again Wednesday. I was feeling good.

All hail the King.

3--7:48.

Are you SERIALLZZ?

4--7:53.

At this point, I realized I just beat my previous 4 mile PR of 32.11. Nice!

5--8:04.

Okay. Seeing an 8 made me feel a bit more at ease and a little less like I was walking a tightrope over a swirling pool full of ill-tempered sea bass. Broke 40 minutes and another PR of 40:02, my previous best at 5 miles.

6-- 8:01.

Hit the 10K in 49:40, which beat my previous record of 51:30 that I set in this very race last year. As an aside, I wonder what I could do in a short race now? At this point, I'm feeling so good that I high five a few kids. The pace felt SLOW. Since when is THIS MY REALITY?! WHO HAS HIJACKED MY BODY?

7--8:04.

Easy-peasy. I could do this shizz all day. We were running through my old neighborhood and Matt's old neighborhood at this point, so I saw all kinds of fun memories on the street corners. Lots of great crowds...it was at this point that I knew I was going to blow 1:50 away. No question. Just a matter of by how much. I couldn't help but wonder how long I could keep this up. Things were just too perfect.

Aaaaaannnnnnndddd....NOW.

8 and 9-- 16:20.

I missed the 9 mile marker, which was totally messing with my brain. I started to struggle just a bit catching up with the pacer after trying to suck down a Gu. My legs started to not respond to my brain quite as well. I knew this was it. Here comes the pain. I watched the pacer slowly creep away and his balloons bounce down the road ahead of me, creeping away slowly. "Run your own race...don't worry about it...one foot in front of the other..." I hoped and prayed my Gu would kick in soon, and I feared the worst at the next mile marker.


10--8:03.

Wait! Okay! I'm OKAY! What felt like 10 was really 8! Now we were turning onto the Shoreway along the lakeshore and I knew this could get hairy. It was a long, steady, gradual climb up the bridges back into the city. Could I do it? The Gu kicked in a little bit, but I could feel it. My legs were slowing down BIG TIME. I started a little mental war in my head. Most of it is not fit to be printed on this nice PG-13 rated blog. Let's just say I was screaming at myself and using lots of words that rhyme with duck and grass and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt and Ice Road Truckers.


11--9:08.

Oh POOOOOOOOOOOOOOPSANDWICH. That was horrid. And it wasn't over yet, either. We weren't to the top yet. I did everything I could to make my legs keep up with my heart, but I was running out of steam.

12--8:45.

THANK YOU ALMIGHTY. We are at the TOP of the freakin' Shoreway. The guy next to me said, "It's all downhill from here...we're almost there." And I managed a weak smile. We were. I looked at my watch and I knew. 1:50 was gone. Demolished. It was just a matter of how much, and that was still up to me.

13 and .1--8:56.

Finish time: 1:47.06.

A three-minute PR to the second.

Average pace 8:10/mile. 34th/394 in Age Group; 169/2368 females. I left everything I had out there. Nothing, and I mean nothing was left. I've never finished one of these--including a marathon--feeling like nothing was left. I've always held back a bit, so it was painfully fun to see what happens when you go all out and do something crazy risky.

It was sooooooooooo fun.

I got a bit verklempt at the finish line. If Bug and Matt were there, I would have lost it. I knew what this race meant, and I knew what I just capped off.

One solid year of 2 half marathons, 1 olympic distance triathlon, 1 marathon, and 2 half ironmans...ALL PR'S. Every. Single. ONE.


I had many fears when I was pregnant. Mostly having to do with the baby, its health, and my ability to raise it being a clueless person who was never into arts and crafts (seriously--I got a C in 6th grade art. Who gets a C in 6th grade art?! It remains my lowest grade ever to this day); who was completely overwhelmed and intimidated by Parent Magazines full of artsy ways to make a peanut butter sandwich, and who is repulsed by the color pink and felt WAAAAYYYY out of her element at Babies R Us. Then, with a few exceptions, all I seemed to hear when I was pregnant was how much "things would change" and how I'd have to give up "those races" I liked to do. Or how I would need to have "pre-baby PRs." And it petrified me. I knew I just could not sit home and do crafts. No way. That is not me...that has never been me, and I refuse to believe that is what a "good" mother has to be.

It doesn't. I know this now.

I owe everything that I've done in the past 12 months to Matt and to my Bug. Every PR is because of them. We've been very creative in our training and our lives. And we've made it work. Not just work, we've made it spectacular.

I feel like I barely recognize myself anymore.

Here I am now, 31 years old. I've been writing here for almost four years. And at this point, I can truly say that my life is full of more joy than I ever could imagine. It's busy and crazy, and I don't make three-tiered forts out of Cheerios or even really read the parenting magazines. But we laugh and smile all day, and this home is full of so much joy.

And I can race. Faster than I ever could before; faster than I ever thought I would. And I'm not done yet.

Not even close.

1:47.06...or how I got 5 PR's for the price of 1

UPDATE: Apparently, I was right and chip was wrong. They adjusted all the times this morning due to a "data error." It's still 5 PRs for the price of one, though. So TST = Super Happy. :)

_________________

I am absolutely GIDDY!

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect race or day. I fizzled a bit the last 5K, but other than that, today was the culmination of a lot of work and dedication over several years. I may not be Boston material yet, but I'm gettin' there. :)

When I got to the 4 mile marker, I looked at my watch and thought, "Hmmm. There's a new PR."

Then I got to the 5 mile marker under 40 minutes and thought, "Well then. Another one."

Then I got to the 10K in 49:40 and checked another PR off again.

Then I got to 10 miles and thought, "HOLY CRAP. Can I hold onto this?"

Then the other shoe started to drop and reality set in. :) My Garmin kept going in and out (stupid buildings) and my watch said just a few seconds over 1:47, which was still a 3 minute PR and I was REALLY happy with. There's been a bit of a finishing time controversy, but it seems to be solved now.

Regardless, this was a big day for me, and I couldn't be happier! A full report will come later, but for now I'm timing up a little snooze in my new lounge chair in the backyard (my Mother's Day present from Bug and Matt!) with Bug's nap.

It was a good day for racing, indeed. :)