Blog and White Cookie

B.O.B. (Baby, or Boulder?)

2011-07-31T09:27:00.000-04:00

So, I realized that sometime between signing up for the Cleveland Clinic River Run Half Marathon on September 11, and actually running said half-marathon, I ought to do some training. And it's not like I can half-ass the training on this one, as I haven't run over 3 miles in a year and a half. (!)

I'd been getting back into the swing of things with a couple of recent 5Ks. Last weekend, I ran a bit before and after the Lakewood Summer Meltdown 5K, making my total between 4 and 4.5 miles. This weekend, I was set to hit the big 5.

I know that sounds like nothing to a lot of you, but to me it sounded monstrous. I usually feel "done" after only about 2 or 3 nowadays. (Well, to be honest, in this heat and humidity, plus the added "bonus" of the jogging stroller, I'm usually tired out after only 1.) Plus, Derek is away this weekend for a friend's bachelor party (yes, all weekend -- boo!)*, so it was B.O.B. time for me and Lorelei.

We set off to the Rocky River Reservation, my favorite place to run. I wasn't sure where to start. I was getting a little bored of always starting near the Detroit Rd. entrance, so I drove a little bit and parked by the Big Met golf course. My thinking was that it's easy parking, close to a water fountain, and close to a mile marker (5).

Let me just say that it was already hot and humid at 9 am! But there was really no backing out. I did all my "long-run" preparations for this, and I was doing it. Funny to think of 5 miles as a long run, but since my body wasn't used to it, I did have to make sure to do extra stuff just in case, like put on Body Glide, eat a PB & J, hydrate, etc.

I'm so glad we were close to that water fountain, because I was able to fill my water bottle and Lorelei's sippy cup right away. I headed north towards the really hilly portion that makes you think you're going to have a heart attack (you know what I'm talking about. Nice cliffs, shaded area, huge mountainous hills on both sides leading up to the top? Sorta think you're gonna fall off if you're not careful?). I said I'd get to 2.5 and then turn around, but after what seemed like forever, I was only at ... 3.5?!?!

I usually think the mile markers are a little screwed up in this area. For example, I can never really find the 4.5 or the 4 mile marker. One of them in this area always seems a little short, and another, really long. So I said I'd compromise: I'd hit 3, then turn around and make it up the other way.

But after another really long bunch of running, I still didn't see 3. I had been out for 35 minutes, so I decided to turn around. I figured I'd go with time anyway for right now. Since I haven't run for more than 40 or 45 minutes at a time lately, I figured a little over an hour was probably just about right because I didn't want to push too hard too soon.

Speaking of pushing, and pushing HARD, oh my GOD is that B.O.B. stroller ridiculously hard! Not to mention on hills. I certainly hope it gets me into better shape than just running solo, because I had to stop to drink about 5 times in a half hour! I even considered drinking the water from Lorelei's sippy cup (she was sleeping, after all) ... but I refrained. :)

Anyway, I was really feeling good out there in general, though. And a female runner passed by and said, "You go girl. You're my hero." Wow! That made me feel awesome.

When I got back to the original mile marker, I did about a half-mile going the other way, and back, making sure to refill the water on the way. I was out there for almost an hour and 20 minutes! I don't know if that's because I was super slow with the jogging stroller, or if I did a little more than 5. But either way, I'm really happy with how it went.

And next week, we'll be in Walloon Lake, Michigan, and there will be a bunch of nice running paths I can go on ... all alone! :)

Today I'll be taking Lorelei to a yelp elite event -- brunch at Phoenix Coffee. A bunch of people are going to the Indians game afterwards -- and it's a beautiful day to do it -- but I'm still not sure, with the baby and all. I probably won't go, but we'll see.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

*There will be a long elaborate plan for Derek to make it up to me for going away and boozing and staying in a hotel all weekend. First up? Mani/pedi. Next? Possibly a night to myself in a hotel with no alarm clock (aka, baby). Any suggestions are welcome...

Was it a Meltdown, or a Downpour?

2011-07-25T13:24:00.002-04:00

Yay! Here's for more summer races. In the heat. And in the rain.

On Saturday night, I ran the Lakewood Summer Meltdown 5K in my neighborhood. It was part of the Lakewood Streetwalk (which sounds weird, but was pretty much just a street fair. Get your head out of the gutter!), and for once it didn't start and end at Lakewood Park!

I'm always torn about night races. On one hand, I love them because a) they're different; b) you can eat and hydrate plenty throughout the day and don't have to worry about all the morning rushing to eat and drink; and c) the sun isn't beating down on you. On the other hand, I dislike them because you're waiting the entire day to do it, and you get tired by the time it's supposed to happen. At least, that's what happened to me.

Add that to the fact that it was ridiculously hot this whole week, and that I was feeling like I wouldn't do so well at the race. But I went anyway, and I'm so glad I did!

I left our place at around 6:35 and walk/jogged there as a warmup. The clouds were forming and I heard thunder. Right after I got my bib (but no t-shirt; apparently they were out. What?! And I had pre-registered!), the sky finally said "I give up" and it started pouring. I hid under an awning at Panera because I didn't want to get soaked before I started running (my thoughts were more about chafing and wet socks than about being cold or uncomfortable -- believe me, the latter would have been impossible!).

Finally, we were off, and I remember laughing pretty hard during the first half mile or so. We started downhill on Belle Avenue towards Clifton, and then we stayed on Clifton for a good mile or so. We even passed by my house!

Shortly after the 1st mile marker (which by the way was 10:34 according to my watch!), we heard the horns and we saw the fastest runners coming back towards us. I always love that part. This time, I didn't shout out to them or clap, because I wanted to conserve my energy, but I sent out positive vibes, especially to the first female runner I saw!

We did a bunch of turns, and I was pretty happy with how I was pacing myself. I had the same few people in sight that I tried to pass, and I succeeded in some cases. Overall, I kept thinking about the fact that I wasn't really that tired, and that even though I wanted to walk, I didn't have to. I passed mile 2 and that split was 11:45.

The last mile wasn't really that bad, despite the ridiculously long block we had to come back up (Belle again, this time towards Detroit) and the biatch of a hill at the very end. There was someone on my tail, who said, "One more minute, or I'm finishing without you!" (Or she might have said "I'm not finishing without you," but that would be way too nice. Haha!) She gave me the motivation to keep pushing and not walk, which I really really wanted to do by this point. (I did take a short walking break for water nearing mile 2). Mile 3 read as 11:46, and then as I ran through the chute, I saw 34:xx but I forgot to stop my watch so it came out as 35:04 when I did click it. (Annoyance: the Hermes Cleveland site still doesn't have results up, nor does it have them for the Fairview Park one I did last weekend!)

[Edited to add: The results were in fact posted this afternoon. My official time was 34:56, or 11:14/mile.]

Well, even if I do go by 35:04, that's still better than the last two 5Ks I did, and better than my first one ever. Feeling good about stuff! Gonna get that time back down if it takes all year. ;)

My only other beef with this race? They ran out of water at the finish. What!?! How many people were they expecting, and how many actually ran? Did non-runners take water? Did runners take more than one? I was kind of pissed off. At least they had watermelon, and I went into Panera where they nicely let me have a cup of their water, but still, that's never happened to me before.

But all and all, a very good time, a fun race, and a nice cooldown jog home!

All's Fair(view) in Running and Eating

2011-07-18T09:42:00.000-04:00

Surprise! I ran a race yesterday. Actually, it was sort of a surprise to me as well.

We just got back on Saturday night from a week at the Jersey Shore (Beach Haven). I ran three times when I was there, and I was thinking I might want to try and find a race this weekend.

I really wanted to do the Winking Lizard Shot in the Dark 4-miler on Saturday night, but we were still on our way back when that one started. So I looked at my good ol' Running in the USA site, and found out that there was a race in Fairview Park on the 17th: The Fairview Youth Association Run for Fun 5K.

I have been extremely lucky, by the way, that the baby has been sleeping through the night. It just makes things like working out and, oh, I don't know, staying awake long enough to eat cereal, that much more bearable. So she got up at 6:40 and after I tended to her, I got ready to go. I got to Bohlken Park, where the race was held, at around 7:50 (start time of 8:30). Registration was painless, got my bib and was good to go! No chip timing for this race. You know what that means! It's so small that I just may come in dead last!!!!

After a little speech welcoming us and thanking us for running the (2nd!!!) annual race, we were off. I thought of NYRR's Mary Wittenberg, and how she needed to use a microphone for all the runners to hear her announcments and speeches before races in Central Park. This was so different, but cool!

I started off a bit faster than I thought I could handle, but was still getting passed left and right. Whatever! Oh, I should also mention that it was hot as balls and even though I was probably in better shape than when I did my last race in April, the heat was stifling so I had very few expectations for this race as far as time was concerned.

The first mile passed by really quickly. I was relieved, because I was sort of having a hard time already. There were no volunteers calling out the elapsed time, and I'd forgotten my watch, so I really had no clue what we were looking at here in terms of my speed. However, a volunteer standing about a tenth of a mile past the first mile marker shouted out, "You're not last!" as I ran by. Gee, thanks. Do you think that really makes me feel confident? How about "Looking good!" or something!!!?!?!

The second mile did not pass by as quickly, but at least I had the water stop to look forward to halfway between these miles. I took two cups, and poured one down my back (I learned the hard way a few years ago not to pour it on the top of your head or on your face unless you want to become temporarily blinded by your sweat stinging your eyes!!!).

Now here's where I began to pass some people. My motto, if you can call it that, is "I won't get passed again" (which of course always makes that Who song get stuck in my head for a chunk of a race when I think about it). In other words, if I pass you, I'm going to make it my mini-goal for the rest of the race not to get passed back. This doesn't always work, but if I can get a good enough lead, it sometimes does. I even psych people out on occasion by surging forward long enough for me to lose them (or better yet, to turn a corner or something) making it mentally harder on them to catch up because I "have so much energy." (Yeah right! It's all an act, and the whole time I do this I'm praying that you don't take the bait and run faster to catch up.) Well anyway, yesterday I passed three people (four, if you count this one guy who was running with his daughter), and I didn't get passed by them again! I consider that small feat an accomplishment, especially considering I could feel the heat emanating from my body. Note to self: SLEEVELESS SHIRTS FOR SUMMER RACES. Duh! I'd put on my black (of all colors) River Run technical tee from 2009.

Anyway. The end of a race is always like running through a fog for me. But at least it propels me forward. People clapping from their front stoops, watering their lawns. A nice guy who set out a cooler and fashioned an unofficial water stop in the third mile. And the volunteers who kept shouting, "Less than half a mile to go!"

I reached the entrance to the park (which I kind of assumed was mile 3) at 35:50 -- this is what the guy with the watch told me. Then I just had a little ways to go. I had to rip off the bottom of my bib in order for them to get my time, which, based on the time I entered the park as well as my fuzzy memory of the clock, was 36:xx. Not bad for a scorcher and only my second race since getting back down to business.

So here are some goals for racing:
-Train and run for River Run half marathon on September 11 (already registered). I'm sort of stuck at this 3-3.5 mile zone for my runs, and I'm looking forward to getting some long runs in again!!!
-Slowly bring my 5K time back down to the low 30s by the fall/winter...and then hopefully back to 28:xx by the time I consider myself really "in shape" ;)
-Much more important than both of these: LEARN TO ENJOY RUNNING AGAIN. It's been so long since I've done it with any consistency that I'm feeling kind of down about it. I've been going out more, and doing it, but it's taking awhile not to feel slow and sluggish and just...tired!!

In other news....
-We moved from Tremont to Lakewood! That's partially why I haven't blogged in awhile. No internet for about two weeks, then we went on vacation. So that's that. So far, I am loving the new apartment and the new neighborhood.

Oh, and speaking of Tremont -- went to the Taste of Tremont yesterday, for the first time as a non-resident ... um, not sure I'll ever do that again! Parking was a nightmare. And it was so hot. Ugh, I guess I'm just getting old! But I sure did take advantage of burning some extra calories to indulge in some of the treats there.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-06-13T10:53:00.000-04:00

Oh no! No blogging for a month! I do this every once in awhile. I've just been super busy, which, I guess is a good thing...?

But a lot has happened in the past month. Here's a short recap:

Lorelei started sleeping through the night (FINALLY!!!). While I don't want to jinx it, I'm so happy about this news that I really can't hold it in. She goes to sleep anywhere between 7 and 8 (depending on how sleepy she seems that night) and sleeps for about 12 hours. Hallelujah!
We are packing up the apartment and searching for a new one to move into ... by July 1. Yep, cutting it close! We had a couple of places that we really liked, but the timing wasn't right on those. But we told our landlord that we're getting out by July 1, so, somehow we will be ready. Let me tell you: I thought packing was annoying and difficult to manage before. Well, now it's near impossible! How do people with kids move? Do they hire someone to watch their baby every day while they pack? I'd love to hear your ideas. Keep in mind that unless she's napping, she is whining for our attention pretty much all day long. She's not really one of those "content to be playing by herself" babies, unless of course she's crawling all over the apartment and giving us a heart attack by getting into places she's not supposed to!
I'm beginning the search for a new job. Not sure yet what I'm going to be doing. I already applied to two jobs. One is for an Educational Field Assessor, and the other is to be a Gymboree teacher for their music & play class. Both are part-time. I also started online applications for some of the school districts in the area, but honestly ... I don't really think I want to go back into the classroom right now, or possibly ever. I feel kinda guilty about that, but I just don't think it's where I want to be right now. I think if I applied, it would be more about me proving that I still "have what it takes" to be a teacher. If I got hired, I'd probably take the job, which would be great but which would put a lot of additional stress on me and I don't think I want that right now.
Running has SUCKED lately. In fact, aside from a few jaunts with the BOB last month, I have been doing NOTHING. Ok, not nothing; I've been packing and apartment hunting and, ya know, doing the mom thing. But I feel out of shape and lazy and I'm ready to start exercising again for real this summer. You hear that, everyone? I'm gonna exercise!! But really, it doesn't help that it's been in the 90s off and on for a couple weeks. Seriously, weather, give me a friggin' break.

Anyway, so that's all for now! Here's a cute pic of Lorelei at the park.

It's a beautiful day in the CLE-borhood

2011-05-07T09:45:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure whether it's because it hasn't rained EVERY single day this week, or because it's just getting warmer in general, or because I've been reading other Cleveland blogs via Twitter and the Ohio Blogging Association ... but I'm lovin' on Cleveland lately!

I wanted to give a special shout out to CLEgal. Her blog, Why? CLE, is a great read, and explains why people keep coming back to Cleveland and what it has to offer. I've agreed to take the 31-day challenge for the month of May (albeit, a little late), where I post a new thing I enjoy about Cleveland every day for 31 days.

I started today, and I posted: Reason #1: Waking up thinking it's going to rain, and then it turns into a beautiful sunny day. I'm not sure if I just thought it was going to rain today because it was cloudy, or if I just got up too early to see any shadows (LOL), but now the sun is out, and even though it's not exactly bright, it made me happy.

Related to the nicer weather and the sun? More time for running! Last week I ran twice and was so happy about it. I "re-discovered" this one part of the Towpath Trail that I'd only run on once before. Instead of getting on at Harvard/Jennings (near Steelyard Commons), you go East on Harvard a little bit until East 49th street, then make a right and about a mile down the road is a park, visitor center (with fountains -- important!), baseball field, and plenty of paths.

View Larger Map

If you take the path down a huge hill (which, duh, felt much better on the way out then on the way back), you'll pass another visitor center, and then eventually reach the main Towpath trail just past the 7-mile marker on the trail (sorta near where that set of bathrooms are, before the train overpass). So I ran from 49th street park down to that mile marker and back. I didn't use a Garmin or anything, but based on the time (40 or so minutes), I think I went about 3 or 3.25 miles. It was a great workout.

Then, the next day, I went to a similar location, but this was technically the Washington Reservation (even though it was only a mile or so away from the other one. You can take Harvard to get here too, but I took 77 South to Fleet, and then made a left and it was right there. This path kinda goes in a million different directions. I ended up running on Washington Place (I think that's the name of the street), looking at really nice houses. Then I ran back and found some really nice paths surrounding that golf course over there. I was really tired, so I didn't run as long (only 30 minutes), but this is a place I'd like to come back and explore soon.

Today, I'm going to yoga at Inner Bliss in Rocky River! For the first time in ... forever! I think it's been almost a year and a half since I've done any "real" yoga practice. I did prenatal for a few months, which was great, but it was very very mellow (necessary for me!), and I'm ready to start getting back into the swing of things.

Not bad for a septuagenarian

2011-04-26T12:07:00.001-04:00

Just when I'd lost hope at placing at a race ... I received a strange-looking package in the mail yesterday with a plaque inside. No, it's not what you think. Read on. I just cut and paste the exchange on Facebook. This way everyone can see the funny comments my friends and family made! (Last names and pictures omitted for privacy.)

Imagine my surprise when I open a package from the local race I just ran and see a plaque for 3rd place...of the 70 and over female division.

15 hours ago via Android · · · · Share

Marjorie, Vallerie, Stefanie and 15 others like this.
- Krystal You look good for your age!
  15 hours ago ·
- Leslie lol
  15 hours ago ·
- Kimberly Still better than I could do! :-)
  15 hours ago ·
- Rachel Haha! I actually entered into the Athena (150 lbs.+) division, and for some reason it registered everyone's age in that division as 99. LOL!
  14 hours ago ·
- Kristie They must be psychic, and predicting a long and fruitful running career for you! :)
  14 hours ago · · 1 person
- Julie OMG, LMAO!
- Julie OMG, that means you got BEAT by two other 70+ year old women! This was funny and then it got even funnier!!! LMAO!
  14 hours ago · · 2 people
- Laura My, having a child has aged you!
  14 hours ago ·
- Sandy Rachel, you are just ahead of your time!
  14 hours ago ·
- Melissa Nice!
  13 hours ago ·
- Rachel Goal for next race: come in FIRST in the 70+ div.
  13 hours ago ·
- Jack If you're over 70, how old does that make your mom and I? Very depressing! At least you can start getting senior discounts.
  12 hours ago ·
- Chris Hilarious!
  12 hours ago ·
- Stefanie LOL!!
  2 hours ago ·

Proud to be an Athena

2011-04-10T10:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, kids! Time for a race recap.

As I've mentioned about a jazillion times, I ran the Jog Into Spring 5K yesterday. Here's how it went:

It was a new experience being a mom and running a race. Just the little things that you take for granted (like being able to go to bed "early," for example, or waking up and doing your pre-race routine, get thrown for a loop when you have to tend to a little person). Luckily, Derek was there for support just in case it turned out to be a poor sleeping night for Lorelei. It wasn't really that bad, but she did get up at around 5 am. By the time I was done feeding, burping, and changing her, it was 5:45. My alarm was set to go off at 6:45, and I tried to go back to sleep, but after a little while, I thought: If I fall back asleep now, there is NO WAY I'm going to feel ok in only one hour. I'm going to be miserable, cranky, and groggy, and I'll probably snooze my alarm and then have to rush and feel panicked.

So, instead, I just took a hot shower, made some coffee, and had a leisurely breakfast. Then, in about an hour, Derek woke up, and we got ready together. We timed it pretty well, and Lorelei got up at around 7:30 for the day, so I fed her and we were ready to go by around 8.

We got to the Independence Civic Center by 8:20 or so, and I got all my race-day stuff. It felt so good to pin on a bib again! And I almost forgot how to attach the D-tag. Ha ha.

It was a bit chilly (like around 40 or 45 degrees), but I knew with a little warm-up, it would be fine, and I always appreciate that kind of weather for running (for me, 60 is already too hot!). Derek walked Lorelei around in the stroller while I did some jogging around. I was still feeling a bit sick (no voice, cough), so I knew I wasn't going to push it. (I did make sure I could breathe deeply, and I could -- there was no mucus in my lungs or anything.) I was still happy I was racing.

As I was getting ready to start, I saw my mom and Jack, who were waiting there, and my mom got this picture of me:

I was excited, but also a bit nervous. What if I couldn't finish? What if I came in last? It's funny to have these fears after having raced so much. But still, it had been a long time, and what if I was rusty?

We started off with a little jingly bell, which was funny. Shortly after we began running, I realized two things: 1) this course was kind of hilly and 2) this course was SUPER boring! Ack! All school buildings, convention center circumferences, and the like. Oh well.

For the first mile, I really had to keep talking to myself: Don't worry if people are passing you; just let them go. Don't worry if you feel tired; you're still warming up. Don't worry if you have to walk; you're only human. And so on! Oh, and I didn't wear a watch this time, but as I passed mile one the woman keeping time said, "11:04." Ok! Much better than I thought. Based on my "training" for this race (or lack thereof), I was expecting more like 12:xx or even 13:xx.

During the second mile, this older guy caught up to me, and we exchanged hellos and "good job"s. It turns out that he hadn't been racing since '09 either, and that Renee Roche (who this race is dedicated to) was a relative. That gave me a little more motivation to keep going. It's always good to find someone really close to the cause to send the message home: I can run. I can keep going. Some people aren't as lucky.

We did run through a fairly nice (and again, hilly!) residential section during the second mile, as well as a water station (thank god), during which I walked to drink. But that was the only time I walked! Yay! At the second mile, my time was 23 minutes. So just under a 12-minute mile.

The third mile was ok. It wasn't as bad as it usually is. It was a sort of modified out-and-back course, so I started recognizing things, and the end went fairly quickly. Right at the 3-mile mark, a stroller mom passed me (dammit! How on earth do they race with those things?!), but I kicked it into high, or maybe medium-high, gear. The clock read 35:50 with about 100 yards to go. I tried to make it under 36:00, but it didn't happen! Oh well!

But the online official time was actually 35:53, due to the good ol' 10-second delayed start or what have you. So that made the last mile around 12 again, and the last .12 around a minute. Not bad! That made my pace for this race 11:38/mile.

I am really satisfied with this. Based on how I was feeling leading up to this race, and the wild card of no sleep, I would have expected a time closer to 40 minutes. This 5K time was just about a minute slower than my first 5k ever, during which time I was admittedly in much better shape (although inexperienced at racing). I am very confident that I can get my time back down in the low 30s by the fall. (Hello goals!)

Me, Derek, and Lorelei after the race

Also, I hadn't mentioned this before, but I entered into the Athena (150 lbs. +) division for women. Did I place? Wellll... I got fourth. Out of five. HAHA! But still, I was super proud to enter into that division. To me, "Athena" doesn't say "overweight" or "lumbering." It says "powerful," "strong," and, at least for me, "determined."

So all in all, it was a good race, and a great birthday present to myself. And I'll consider this a PRPB (PR Post-Baby!).

Hope everyone else had a great Saturday!

Birthday Race

2011-04-09T11:56:00.000-04:00

I did it! I finished my first 5K since December 2009!!

Official time: 35:53 / 11:38 pace

More details to follow!

I've run an average of 0.114583 per day this year!

2011-04-04T11:05:00.002-04:00

I just looked at my daily mile stats, and so far I've run a total of ... wait for it ... 11 miles in 2011!! Haha! That is hysterical. It feels like more than that. Oh well. At least I've run 6 of those 11 miles during this week alone!

Ok, so less than a week until the 5K. Two things that are bugging me:

I think I might be starting to get a little bit sick. The plus? I don't feel too much worse today than I did yesterday, and in fact I think I feel better this morning than I did last night. Good sign. So far, I've just got a teeny scratchy throat, dry cough, and feeling fatigued. No other cold symptoms yet. Derek has been dealing with an awful cough, though, for what seems like weeks now. Actually, it's been a little over a week. Ugh, I hope I don't get what he had. And I also hope that Lorelei doesn't get it.
It's supposed to rain next weekend. While I've not only run in the rain (sorta fun), but also raced in the rain (really fun, but really hard), it's not the best opportunity for my family to stand outside to cheer me on. That kinda sucks, because mom and Jack are coming in on Thursday and part of Saturday was going to be them coming to the race. Well, I guess I'll look online at the course, and see if there's a nearby store they can wait in until I pass by, or until I finish.

Other than that, it's just another day here in the Cleve! Oh, except that I recently made a decision: we've started to supplement Lorelei's diet with a little bit of formula. As I agonized about in great length in another post or two, it's really kind of ... sucking the life out of me (no pun intended, lol). So I am still breastfeeding, but also giving her up to 2 ounces or so of formula per day if she is still hungry soon after nursing. This gives me a physical and mental break, and it also takes the pressure off to pump if I have to be away from her for a few hours at night -- something that I seriously need to do once in a while or I'm gonna lose it! So since we started this (last week), I have been feeling a lot happier in general. We're using Gerber Good Start Gentle Plus, and it's worked out great. No weird reactions, no refusing a bottle, etc. Great relief.

Oh, another thing: I'm going to start reviewing the ABC Family show Make It Or Break It on Mondays/early Tuesdays from now on! If any of you watch the show (or even if you don't, haha) feel free to check it out at CliqueClack TV's website.

How is everyone's Monday going?

That Mom Friday: Dirty Little Secrets

2011-04-01T10:41:00.001-04:00

I realized I haven't done "That Mom Friday" in awhile. Which I consider to be a good thing, because it could potentially mean I haven't felt like "that mom" recently enough to warrant writing about it.

However: I did come across something great in a book I'm reading (well, in the bathroom, which is the only reading time I get nowadays...) The book is called I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood (by Trishia Ashworth and Amy Mobile).

It provides a truthful look at how moms beat themselves up on a daily basis when they take stock of all the things they're not doing instead of taking pride in what they are doing. The book has helpful and funny ways of learning to stop comparing ourselves to other mothers and just enjoy time with our kids.

Every few pages or so, there's a little part of the page sectioned off for a "Dirty Little Secret," where moms confess things they've done that maybe they're not so proud of -- or simply things to get them through the day. A couple of my favorites are:

"I tell my daughter, 'You are only two years old. It says right here on the package you can only have two cookies.'" (page 146)
"I tell lies. Soccer's been canceled; we can't go. Or the pool's not open; we can't go." (page 142)

and, my personal favorite, one I can definitely relate to:

"I like to go to Starbucks alone. I like the adult sippy cup. I get to drink the whole coffee while it's still hot without interruption. My 'latte name' is Kim, and in my mind she's still single and living in the city with no kids." (page 165)

This makes me think I ought to come up with one or two of my own. Of course, they won't be secrets, because I'm sharing them, but it'll be nice to get it off my chest. Ok, here's one:

Some days, when Derek is working late and I have a lot of stuff I have to do, I just want to keep putting Lorelei back into the swing after each feeding so that she'll be occupied and I won't have to hold her all day!!

Before I became a mom, I had plenty too, such as ...

I would be happy if I never had to work again. I don't think I'd ever get bored of sitting around watching TV all day.
Sometimes I think I am always looking for something to be stressed/upset about. I can't just let myself be content and happy. If I'm having a perfect day, suddenly I'll look for what's wrong, such as that load of laundry that has to get done or the fact that I should have run 4 miles instead of 3.

What are some of your "dirty little secrets?"

Not just a cookie anymore

2011-03-31T11:43:00.000-04:00

Yay! I finally spent some time yesterday using Picasa to create a collage of special things/moments/people in my life to put as the new image on my blog. I'm really happy with it!!!

Yesterday, I was supposed to have a "mom's night out" with this meetup group I've joined. We were going to go to Shinto's steakhouse in Strongsville and I was gonna have sushi and a (strong) drink. But I got only ten minutes out of the neighborhood and I could hardly see in front of me (it had started snowing earlier in the afternoon) so I had to turn around and go back! BOO!

Well, that's ok, because I treated myself to a Left Hand Milk Stout at Edison's Pub in Tremont, while awaiting the delicious pizza I decided to pick up for me and Derek. Watching the snow was very relaxing (and of course the beer helped too!).

Tonight, I've got a yelp elite event at Visible Voice Books here in the neighborhood, so it looks like I will get some time to myself after all. And Derek's home today, so...perhaps a run? We'll see. Only nine days 'til my race ... YIKES!

I vow...

2011-03-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

...to never:

Refer to the bathroom as the "potty" in the company of adults.

Post every single milestone my kid does on Facebook as if she's the first kid to have ever smiled, rolled over, or taken a crap having the consistency of peanut butter.

Identify myself as "Lorelei's mommy" instead of by my name.

That's all that comes to mind right now, but those were the ones bugging me today!

Mission: Semi-possible

2011-03-29T11:07:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to figure out just how few training runs I can do and still be "ready" for the Jog into Spring 5K on April 9.

I did one run two weeks ago...then another one on Sunday. Well, let's just say they were both difficult and I couldn't run the entire time (duh).

The problem is, I'm still not sure if it's ok to take the baby in the BOB, so I'm waiting to do that. And I can't really get away that much, and I am TOO DAMN TIRED most of the time anyway!

Moms! How do you do it?! How do you balance running and motherhood? I need to know. Now that I have a "deadline," this is getting scary. I mean, I know I can finish it...but I'd like to do it comfortably, and I'd like to not have to walk too much.

Do I have to wait until she sleeps through the night before I can start running again in earnest? Is it bad for me to run on next to no sleep? Or is it necessary?

Ten questions you should never ask a new mom

2011-03-20T17:14:00.001-04:00

The other day, I came across this masterpiece on Twitter, posted by ScaryMommy (read her blog here). It was written by PregnantChicken and totally summed up how I felt during pregnancy.

That post inspired the following list, which I'd like to call "Ten questions you should never ask a new mom," the responses to which I wish had the balls to repeat each time I'm asked any of them.

(Note: I realize that these questions are, more often than not, asked out of love, so no, I'm not truly pissed off when people ask them. It's just that these questions cover the subjects about which I am either a) the most self-conscious or b) the most frustrated. They are also -- whaddya know?! -- the subjects that come up ad nauseum and therefore have to talk about again and again. I know my friends, family, and perfect strangers mean well when they ask them. It's just that I'm kinda sick of answering them.)

Ten questions you should never ask a new mom:

Is she sleeping through the night yet? No. Not even a little. And if you tell me once more about your friend's baby who slept through the night at 3 weeks, or about how "a little formula might work," I'm gonna lose it.
When are you going back to work? I. Don't. Know. Do I want to? Not really. But also, yeah. Have I considered daycare? Of course, but again, I'm not there yet. I'll let you know if and when I'm returning to work.
Wow! She's so [big/little]! How much does she weigh?! Oh, did I forget to mention I'm [overfeeding her/starving her]? That's what accounts for her size. Not like, genetics, or her metabolism, or randomness, or anything. But I appreciate you taking the time to point out how [huge/petite] she is. (See also: What size clothes is she wearing?!!? My baby wore 9-month onesies at 2 months! etc.)
When are you going to wean? Again, I don't know. It's personal. It's not really like going on a diet, where you all of a sudden alter your eating habits. It's a gradual process. I'm not ready to stop breastfeeding yet, and when I am ... I'm not going to tell you anyway.
Are you still running? Now, this, I admit, is a fair question. A question about ME. However: Try not to look at my midsection when you ask this, nor at the bags under my eyes or the spit-up on my shirt. I'm really busy right now, and really, I'd rather be running than talking to you about not running.
When are you gonna let her cry it out? Probably never. Next question?
Has your hair been falling out? My sister/friend/coworker's hair fell out! Yes, and thanks for noticing. What, you don't like the strands of hair on my sweater?
When's the next one? ... Next what? Oh, NEXT BABY?! Geez. Again, personal! And also: I can't even frickin' IMAGINE that right now. But I'll tell you what, once we start trying again I'll announce it on Facebook, k?
Why didn't you send out a birth announcement? The same reason I still haven't finished sending all the thank-you notes: because I'm lazy.
Wow, you take her out to restaurants? Why yes. How else will she learn good manners AND good taste?

Feel free to add your own in the comments!

Your registration is complete

2011-03-17T23:15:00.001-04:00

Hell yeah, bitches! First registration since December 2009. Wow, that's scary.

Registration Steps:
1. Registration Options2. Accept Waiver3. Complete Form4. Submit Payment5. Print Receipt

Print
Your registration is complete!
You will receive an email in the next few minutes confirming your registration.

Purchased at: March 17, 2011 08:06 PM
Event Confirmation #: 26153143-031711200629
Want some company? Invite a friend to participate!

Event Name: 9th Annual "Jog Into Spring"
Date & Time: April 09, 2011 09:00 AM
Location: Independence Civic Center
(map)
Click here to print a copy of your waiver.

Click here to print your receipt.

Seek and share advice with other runners--Connect in our Discussion Forums

Important Information Regarding Your Registration:
You may still pick up your packet the morning of the race beginning at 8:00 AM at:
Independence Civic Center
6363 Selig Road

26.2 FAIL

2011-03-16T18:17:00.000-04:00

No, that doesn't mean I entered and DNFed a marathon without telling you all! It is referring to this:

Yep, that's my 26.2 sticker after a huge snowstorm. My once bright pink, shiny, STICKY sticker reminding me of my goals! Faded and peeled off like a weakling!

Well, I guess it's fitting that, with a new season approaching, bringing with it a whole slew of racing opportunities, I ought to get a new sticker.

Can I get one that says 3.1?

Ha ha!

Getting "back out there"

2011-03-13T10:52:00.000-04:00

Well, I did it! I went for a run yesterday. And all I have to say today is...OMQ (Oh my quad!)

Thanks to those who commented yesterday. I know that my feelings were valid. I was just enjoying having a little pity party for myself, ha ha. But the baby and I both took a little nap mid-morning, and then I was feeling ready to run a little in the afternoon. Derek and I took Lorelei to the Rocky River Reservation (my favorite place to run), and he pushed her in the stroller (walking) while I alternated running with walking.

View Larger Map

We were out there for about 35 minutes or so, and I didn't really keep track of how far we went. It was somewhere between 2 and 2.5 miles. Good enough for me!

Afterwards, we stopped at Robeks for my favorite post-run treat: an acai smoothie. Mmmm. That put me in a good mood the rest of the day.

We just took it easy at night, and watched some Grey's Anatomy on Netflix on Demand. I forgot how good that show used to be in its first couple of seasons!!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Saturday. Oh, and I guess we lost an hour today, which sorta sucks, but whatevs!

Yet another race I'm not doing

2011-03-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

Can I vent?

I know that in my last post I was really excited because I have a plan to run a 5K on my birthday.

But, a few days ago, I came up with the plan that I was going to "spontaneously" run this quick 2-mile race this morning nearby (the St. Malachi run). I was really excited, thinking that this is what I need, and it'll be great.

Well, it snowed about a foot yesterday.

But then it stopped, and warmed up. Most of the snow was cleared away, and I thought, "Ok, I'll still do it." (Not registered yet)

I even talked Derek into driving with me early enough to register ...

Until last night was HORRIBLE and Lorelei kept us up for like 2 hours in the middle of the night screaming. Ugh! This morning, I could not even get out of bed. Not to mention the fact that I didn't want to wake her to nurse after she had slept so horribly.

For the first time, I resorted to putting headphones on and blasting music super-loud (thank you Alexi Murdoch and Adele) so I wouldn't have to hear her screaming. Derek was soothing her during this time, but she was just too upset. And she had already eaten, so I don't know what's up with that. (She's teething, which sucks, but the doctor said she doesn't like to blame sleeplessness on teething. I don't know if that's right.) And the whole time I was lying there, trying not to feel selfish or resentful, but I did. I know, right?

Confession! I still think about myself. I want to do things that make me happy, and I feel that now, I just can't. It doesn't mean that I don't love my baby, but I am feeling like I will never be able to race again, because I cannot get a good night's sleep. EVER.

So, yeah, no race this morning, and I'm really bummed about it. Sorry to be depressing today, but I am so sad.

At least it's sunny out, so I think I'll try to get out there later today.

Birthday 5K

2011-03-09T10:15:00.001-05:00

Thanks to those who voted/commented on the 5K poll. I've made a decision! (Well, sorta.)

I subscribe to Active.com's newsletter, and the most recent one showed not one, but two races in Cleveland on April 9 (my birthday). So I thought, what better birthday present to give to myself than a 5K race?!!?

This gives me just about a month to "train," i.e., to run when I can and just hopefully gain a bit of fitness so that I can finish without passing out. (Yes, mom, if I really do feel like I'm going to pass out, I will walk. Duh.)

So now, the only decision left is which one to register for? Here are the choices:

1. Run For Your Life!

Berea, OH
9:00 am
$15 in advance, $18 on race day
Promoting increased physical activity for children
Also has 1 mile walk

2. Jog Into Spring

Independence, OH
9:00 am
$15 in advance, $20 on race day
Renee Roche memorial race

These both seem like they support a really great cause. My favorite half-marathon ever, the Cleveland Clinic River Run, starts in Berea, and it's really beautiful. I guess the only downside is that it's a bit far away (like maybe 20-30 minutes to drive there). Jog Into Spring is good because it's in Independence, which is right near where Derek works and we know how to get there easily (race-day worries are annoying, especially when you don't really know the area well). Looking at the course maps of both of these races, I'm pretty sure Run For Your Life is probably more scenic, but which could also mean more hills. Also, this race has a 1-mile fun walk, which Derek could do with Lorelei.

Hmmm, decisions, decisions!

In any case, I'm so glad to have a plan now. Maybe Lorelei's pediatrician will give us the OK to start using the jogging stroller soon, and I can take her out for a spin sooner than later.

New blog!

2011-03-08T13:53:00.003-05:00

My pizza obsession has led me to create a new blog about pizza in the Cleveland area, called Clezza. If you love pizza, and you're interested in reading reviews of various slices around town, feel free to read it and follow me!!

In other news ... guess what I got as an amazing early birthday present from my in-laws?!?

YES! YES! YES!

So excited. Can't wait to use it! For the moms out there -- how old was your little one before you used a jogging stroller?

Poll: How Should I Handle My "First" 5K?

2011-03-06T08:33:00.000-05:00

Ok. This is getting ridiculous.

I need to run!!!

I was actually going to go today. I really was. But it hailed and snowed last night. So, after about a week of no snow (and just, oh, you know, massive flooding in the area), there's snow again. Dammit.

But I am really feeling hopeful because it's March, which just sounds ten thousand times better than February. And as I was reading Steel Springs' blog the other day, she wished everyone racing good luck. And I was like, "Huh. Remember when I used to race practically every weekend? What happened to that?!"

I mean, I know what happened, but still...

So I am gearing up towards running a 5K. I've had this in the works for a long time now, actually since before I gave birth. Make fun of me if you want! But towards the end of my pregnancy, I was seriously going, "Ok, I'll probably need to take six weeks off, so that's November-ish, so then December-January...I can probably race again in January or February!" Yeah, right. Even if I had the ability to train, even if the weather was great, even if I weren't tired out of my MIND ... etc.

So I keep stalling, and that's making me feel very bad. Not "bad about myself," like I should be doing more, but just ... not like myself, if that makes any sense. I need to be racing. It's a part of me that's missing.

Which brings me to this poll I referenced in the title: How should I go about this 5K? Should I diligently train and try to "race" it? Should I train a bit and then just try to run the whole thing? Or should I keep training to a minimum and then just try to finish it? Ha ha.

Vote please! (I guess I'll figure out how to put a poll up here somehow). And leave your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to hear what you think.

"Five months? That's like, almost half a year!"

2011-03-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

That's what my sister-in-law Alida said when she heard that Lorelei was going to turn five months on March 3 (which is, in fact, today). I truly can't believe this. Five months is still sort of like four months. But six months! That's definitely old.

I must say, I haven't really missed going to work during this time. I do consider myself very lucky that I have had the opportunity to take time off during Lei's first year with us. But I have been itching to do something more (which is why I have started writing more regularly for CliqueClack TV). Well, teaching is probably out of the question for now, unfortunately. Not only because the craziness in Wisconsin is heading over here, but also because I just don't think I'm ready. Actually, maybe that's just an excuse because I think I won't be able to find a job. Hmm. I don't know. I'd say, right now I don't feel ready, but if an excellent opportunity presented itself, I would probably go for it.

I also recently joined Barefoot Books as an Ambassador, where I can sell children's books, artwork, and music independently and make commission. Honestly, this sort of thing is a bit overwhelming to me, but I'm going to give it a try. When we were at Ryan and Casey's wedding in February, Derek's friend Maureen, who works at Barefoot in the Boston area, suggested this when I said I wanted to try working from home. Given my background in education, and my English degree, I think this is a great thing for me to be doing. It was started by a couple of moms who wanted to be home with their kids.

Anyway, if any of you who are reading want more info on Barefoot Books, or would like to buy something for your kids, please comment below or send me an email and I'll be happy to help you. And if you know any teachers, educators, parents, etc. who you think would be interested, please let them know too!! Thanks! :)

Here's a recent Lorelei pic from this past weekend:

Operation: Treadmill

2011-02-16T09:37:00.000-05:00

So, I am visiting my folks in NY this week, and my stepdad got me a guest pass to the gym. The what? Oh, yeah, that place I used to go all the time before my days suddenly got too full and I got hella lazy.

So ... I haven't run since Christmas. Yikes! I don't know how it's gonna go today. I am planning on walking and running for about 30 minutes. And then I'm going into the hot tub! (Yep, for some reason, this gym has a hot tub and I WILL be going in it).

In other news, I rejoined Twitter (see top right corner of this page). Feel free to follow me!

Yep, that's all for now. I'm boring.

NIP (Nursing in Planes)

2011-02-06T20:06:00.000-05:00

So this weekend, Derek, Lorelei and I went to a wedding in Panama City Beach, Florida. (It was his old college roommate getting married.) Let me break down the travel for you:

It was SUPPOSED to be Cleveland to Memphis to Panama City. But it ended up being...

Cleveland to...wait, up in the air a malfunction was discovered. Emergency landing in Louisville. Wait an hour. Get to Memphis with 15 minutes to catch connecting flight...have to wait for stroller at gate. RUN like a mofo (well, at least I got a workout in!) across the whole airport only to find that the plane had already left, and it wasn't even time yet. And it was the last direct flight to Panama City. Apparently, they now have to leave ten minutes early. Well, then why not make the departure time ten minutes earlier? Rude.

We got on another flight, but to Atlanta and then Panama City. Same gate though! So same plane. Cool. Until there was a gate change, and we had to gather all our stuff yet again. We finally got to Florida after four planes and five airports. Then of course we had to drive an hour to the hotel in the pouring rain! Nope, Florida was not warm and sunny. It was cool and soggy.

I figure, if I could survive that with a baby, then I can survive any travel hell.

I think if there were any positive that came from this, it was my ability to become slightly more comfortable with nursing in public. Or, in this case, nursing in planes. I pretty much got it down to a science by the end, where nobody really had to see anything (and, by the way, if they have a problem with it, then they can look away. They don't HAVE to stare at me!).

I think the worst part of traveling with an infant was going through security. I thought that was a pain in the ass before....wow, nothing compares to having a bunch of your own stuff plus baby crap. That has to be folded or collapsed and shoved through the scanner, all the whie somehow holding your child.I also got the "Do you have her formula?" question a bunch of times from the security agents...when I said "No," they looked at me like I had three heads. WHAT? No formula? Haha.

"Watching" the superbowl tonight, which pretty much means I'm on theipad and eating while everyone around me is screaming at the TV. Fun!

Running on Fumes

2011-02-01T10:02:00.000-05:00

I used to use this expression to describe the tail end of my training for marathons, where there would just be nothing left in me but I would still persist with the long runs, the tempos, the speed work. Now, it's describing being an overtired mom! But seriously, it's funny that no matter how many times I get up at night, I always pull it together at least somewhat the next day.

I know, I know, "Sleep when the baby sleeps." Right. Not happening, at least not now. I like to get a handle on my day, get coffee down my gullet, eat something, clean a bit, catch up on emails, blog a little...you know, all the stuff they tell you isn't at all important. Well, when does it become important? In six months? A year? When she goes to school? I mean, I've got to stop living in PJs at some point. (For the record: I only live in PJs roughly 60% of the time.)

Speaking of being up late, last night the reason was not Lorelei for once! It's because I was completing an episode review for last night's episode of Gossip Girl. Yep, I am officially on the team of writers for CliqueClack, a website that covers all things TV (and food, but I'm doing the TV part). How exciting to get my name on something. I'll be doing an episode review each week, plus other posts as they come. Stay tuned! And check out the site, it's pretty great, especially if you are a television junkie like I am.

In other news...it's snowing. Again. This is getting pretty lame already!!

That Mom Friday plus: Makeover

2011-01-28T11:31:00.001-05:00

No, not for me. Although that would be nice! The blog got a makeover. I'm still not fully satisfied with it. I was trying to make it more "Black and White" (like the cookie theme suggests). I suck at html, meaning I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing. So I've been relying on the blogger "design" feature. Oh well, I think I'll just keep tweaking it. Anyone have good templates that they like? (Free ones?)

Ok, so now for That Mom Friday. This week, I was "That Mom" who...

-used her "free time" to go to the doctor. What a waste!
-had to quickly hide a clump of pulled-out hair in her pocket when said doctor walked in.
-put her baby in the swing yesterday evening instead of rocking her to sleep, because Derek wasn't home from work yet and she needed to eat dinner before chomping on her own hand.
-rescheduled today's dentist appointment, despite the fact that this one had already been rescheduled from before. Bad, I know, but I'm not feeling great today, and it's snowing.
-didn't actually call the dentist herself, but had her husband do it for her 'cause she's a wuss. (Thanks, honey!)

-made a crock pot cheesecake yesterday (weird, yes, but DELICIOUS! Recipe here) despite her diet. One serving was "only" 12 points! Here's a partially-eaten picture (and yes, Derek ate most of that).
The trick, by the way, is to use a small corningware dish like the one in the picture (mine is 1.5 quarts) and place it inside the crock pot with about a cup of water in the bottom. (I use a 6 quart crock pot.) Let me tell you, this tastes AMAZING!Definitely worth my "treat points." I think I might try it again with
Oreos. Only, not for a while. Ha ha.

Hair Hell

2011-01-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

I think I might have uncovered the reasoning behind the "Mom 'Do" (really short hair): THIS!!!!

Gross, huh? This seems to happen to me
each and every time I remove a hair band. It's even worse knowing how great my hair felt and looked during pregnancy. I know this is common, but really!!!

The other option (not wearing a hairband)? Yeah right. Not only does Lorelei constantly pull my hair and wrap it around her little fingers, but it winds up EVERYWHERE!

I have had visions of getting it cut short just to avoid all this.

And then I thought: Oh. My. God. This must be why lots of women get a short haircut when they become moms! Not because they've suddenly morphed into someone uncool, who can't take ten seconds to brush her long hair (although trust me, I've been there). It's because the shorter it is, the less of it there is to appear in your blankets, pillows, coats, sweaters, and baby's diapers.

On a related note, I know it's "That Mom Thursday," but I received a suggestion from Josh (read his blog here, it's good) to keep the name "That Mom Fridays." He said it reminded him of some 1940s comedy. And comedies are always good to be thinking about when you're trying to be funny.

So more on that tomorrow.

For today, I thought I'd mention my progress in Weight Watchers so far. I've been to two meetings, both with this really funny old lady who lost 45 pounds back in 1993 (it says so on her name tag). She's a hoot. The Saturday meetings bring out a whole bunch of different characters, let me tell you. I went to an 11:00 one the first week, and a 9:30 one last week. It's good that they have both (they also have an 8:00 one, in case I am feeling extra crazy one morning). And they have a little play area for kids, but I think Lei is too young for that right now. Anyway, on to the numbers.

Starting Weight: (at home - unofficial): 168.5
Week One at Meeting: 165.2
Week Two at Meeting: 164.2
Weight lost this week: -1.0!

I figure that, until running takes a more consistent place in my life again, slow and steady weight loss is what it's gonna be. And I'm ok with that. (That's what you're supposed to do, anyway...)

Speaking of weight loss...anybody see the Biggest Loser Tuesday? Anybody NOT mind that it was only an hour? Ha ha...Anyway, I could not believe just how much food they wasted! It was criminal! Like they couldn't have just had one or two of the contestant's favorite dishes? Instead of TOWERS of them?! Seriously. I hope they donated that food to a shelter or food bank afterwards. For goodness sake. They must have...right?

Shameless self-promotion

2011-01-26T11:26:00.000-05:00

Yay! I got an article published online the other day!

I found this site, CliqueClack awhile ago, while looking around for an episode recap for a show I'd missed. Turns out these site does TV and food "Clacking," which is basically reviewing and writing about these things in whatever way you want.

There are regular writers, who do weekly columns, but when I emailed one of the creators, he suggested I do a "Guest Clack." So I did. And I'm getting ready to submit another!

Writing about TV? Heck yeah!!!

How to feel better about your fussy 4-month-old

2011-01-24T12:57:00.004-05:00

I've got it! If you're feeling overwhelmed and upset because your almost-four-month-old baby keeps fussing everywhere you go, here's the perfect remedy:

Step One: Be a cranky biatch all morning. (Oh, wait, I guess that's not really necessary, but it's certainly what I did yesterday)

Step Two: Get your husband to feel so bad for you that he offers to take the baby out of the house for a couple of hours so you can do whatever you want. After 30 minutes of waffling (should I sleep? Exercise? Cook? Clean? etc.) you decide to get your nails done because you have cat claws.

Step Three: Go the nail salon, and within ten minutes of arriving, see another mom there with HER four-month-old. (Think to yourself: Oh, boy, just when I thought I could have a baby-free afternoon...)

But seriously, it was a funny feeling. It made me actually miss Lorelei when I saw that other baby. And I didn't even mind when he started to fuss. And fuss some more. And then cry. Hard.

The mom had her mom there with her so she could hold her son while she got her nails done. I've done that before with my mom, when I was in NY. It was fine, but really not so relaxing, because I kept looking over at them wondering when she was going to burst into hysterics.

I was so relieved to see another mom in my spot, though! And it reminded me that I'm not the only one with a non-perfect (ok, make that REALLY colicky) baby. It kind of put everything in perspective. I was really thankful for that time away, and was definitely ready for her when I got back. (Plus...the grandma was extremely impatient. She actually called the kid a "devil baby" and said, "This is the LAST time we're doing this!") Yikes.

And, yes, I am a huge dork, and got a light purple color because I saw that J Lo had it on Idol this week..or at least something similar.

"That Mom" Thursdays

2011-01-21T21:18:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's time to start recording all of the memorable "WTF" moments of being a mom. Usually, I will find myself in some sort of embarrassing situation. Like being "that mom" with the screaming kid in the nice restaurant. Or "that mom" who brings her baby to the movies at a young age, because she is desperate to see a movie.

These types of situations happen to me so often that I think I should start a weekly report of them. I know today's Friday,but "That Mom Thursday" sounds better than "That Mom Friday." right? Oh, who knows.

So, today...I was THAT mom...the one who can't get through the door(s)--multiple! of the doctor's office without her stroller bumping into the doors like ten times...the one who goes to get a cup of water at the water cooler (while simultaneously blocking yet another doorway with the stroller) and promptly spills it all over herself and the floor...the one whose baby takes a MASSIVE dump during the appointment and gets the poop on her outfit.

Yep, someone's gotta be that mom! It's usually me.

Check in next Thursday for more embarrassing stories.

Mommy Needs Coffee

2011-01-12T09:41:00.001-05:00

...is what my brand-new mug says! Thanks to the Jose family for letting my mug say what I feel pretty much every second of every day!

So anyway.

Sunday night was a great night! A bunch of my Yelp friends got together at Crop Bistro (one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland) for their Sunday Supper. The concept is pretty awesome. Taken from their website:

Sunday Supper at Crop is a tradition carried over from Chef Steve’s former restaurant in Vermont. After a particularly busy weekend at the Mist Grill, Steve found himself preparing for Sunday service with a partially depleted larder. Rather than frantically trying to convince his purveyors to make special Sunday deliveries, Steve decided to flex his creative muscle and revise his standard menu to incorporate the ingredients he had at hand. The result? A bountiful three-course, family-style dinner that changes from week to week (and sometimes, even during the course of service!).
Relaxed and friendly, we love Sunday Suppers at Crop. Not only are they a great value for our guests, but they allow our staff’s creativity to take flight, resulting in special, one-of-a-kind meals that are as memorable as they are delicious.
All you need to do is choose your entree from the day’s choices, and we’ll take care of the rest — starting with a family style salad bowl over-flowing with seasonal ingredients, proceeding to your entree with sides, and finishing with dessert.
Our goal is to make you feel relaxed and at-home. As Steve likes to say, “Your grandma had it right: With little fuss and no menu, she created the most memorable meals of our childhoods!” We hope you’ll join us soon to enjoy Sunday Supper at Crop.

Cool, right? They give you three courses for only $25! Yelper Pam took some great pictures, including this nice one of us (Lorelei was blurry in all of them - she doesn't stop squirming!)

It was great to bring Lorelei out, which I am always worried about, but according to the description of the dinner, things are really relaxed. Plus, other yelpers brought their kids too.

So yesterday I finally bit the bullet and joined Weight Watchers again. I'm actually really excited. Because I've had success on the program in the past, and because I really don't have a ton of weight to lose, I am hoping that I can just nip this "spare tire syndrome" in the bud and feel happy in my clothes again. I do NOT want to go buy a bunch of new clothes! (Well, maybe an outfit or two when I lose the weight as a present to myself... ;)

I was thinking that Tuesdays were going to be my weigh-in/meeting day. But last week was hectic, and I didn't get there. And yesterday, Lei had a doctor's appointment which went over, so, no meeting (plus it's sort of hard to coordinate with Derek - he said he could watch her during my meeting, but I'd have to pump or feed her right before..) So I was looking online for other meeting options and there are actually two meetings on Saturday mornings, which would be so much better because then I can just get up, feed Lei, and then leave her with Derek instead of having to drop her off at his office. So, yay! I can't wait for my first meeting on Saturday.

Because I'm nursing, I actually get a bunch more points. There's also a new system (Points Plus), which incorporates more than just calories, fat, and fiber to determine values...so it'll be a bit of an adjustment. Actually, though, most of what I normally eat on WW (i.e., not a ton of processed food) have equal values to the old points. Plus, fruit is now free! HOLLA! And you get more points daily and for your weekly extra points too. So we'll see how this pans out. Yesterday I ate mostly normally, except I made an effort to do the following things:

choose a salad for lunch instead of a burger
have only one serving of my meal at dinner instead of going back for seconds
choose EITHER dessert OR wine (Um, I chose wine!)

Other than that, I ate normally. I think this will be good, as long as I plan a bit, and make sure to stock the fridge/pantry with TONS of fruit and other healthy snacks. Of course, going to the supermarket is impossible today, because we have another lovely snowstorm on our hands..but I'll go tomorrow.

Not sure exactly what my "starting weight" is...it fluctuates a ton depending on the time of day I weigh myself and what I've eaten that day. But I'll use the weight I got yesterday on my scale and then possibly update if it is very different at my first meeting.

Current Weight: 168.5

Goal Weight: 150

Mini-goal: 5% (8 lbs) = 160.5

So...here we go!

Weight Watching

2011-01-04T10:18:00.001-05:00

Hmmm...I'm sitting here trying to decide whether or not to re-join Weight Watchers again.

This would be the third time, and I've had major success with the program the two other times I've been on it. Both times, thankfully, it didn't take me too long to get to a "Good weight" (i.e., the point where I feel like I like the way I look; I fit into my "goal jeans;" and the scale just....stops going down. Ha ha.) The first time it took about six months, the second, three (but I had significantly more weight to lose the first time).

The last time I did WW was from March-June(ish) of 2009.

This time, just like the last, I am just looking to lose about 10% of my body weight.

And there's a meeting today, somewhat nearby (or at least, close to Derek's office, so I can probably drop Lorelei off with him for the meeting).

The reservations?
1 - I am not sure if I have enough pumped for today, so I might have to take Lorelei to the meeting (not really wanting to do that). But that's just one day.
2 - I am not sure that I am "ready" to start a diet yet...well, I shouldn't say "diet," because it really isn't about depriving yourself, just restricting amounts and becoming more aware of things...I do know that I get a bunch more points because of breastfeeding. Hooray! But still, I can't even deal with getting dressed these days. Can I deal with making sure I'll have healthful meals each day?
3 - I don't really want to spend lots of money.

Well, I guess I can make this decision when it feels right. There's a 12:15 meeting each Tuesday, so if not today, then maybe next week?

The thing is, I KNOW I'll feel better if I lose some extra weight. But it's just hard to take that step right now. It really is a good time, because Derek just recently started a diet too...arg! Why am I arguing with myself over this? Ha ha. I think partially, it's because I'm sort of a slave right now to Lorelei's schedule. She is napping right now (thank god), so everything depends on when she gets up and when she eats, etc. etc. ARG!

Ok, I need to think about myself here too.

Any moms out there join (or re-join) WW post-partum? How did it go? I'd love to hear how the program works with breastfeeding and/or just raising a newborn. :)

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T12:29:00.001-05:00

These last few weeks have been filled with family, friends, cooking, shopping, and traveling. Some are better with a baby....and some aren't!

Being home again feels good. My own bed with my own pillows. My own shower and clothes that don't come out of a suitcase. All of Lorelei's stuff at hand instead of in bags. And she gets to "sleep" (ha ha) in her own crib too, instead of a pack and play! (Although she does enjoy the pack and play.)

Well, I guess it's 2011! What?! And time for some "ideal situations" (I wouldn't dare call them resolutions, and I really don't even want to call them goals, because then if they're not met, then they're just disappointments).

My Ideal Situations for 2011

Get the hang of this whole baby thing. Or at least get a little better at balancing no sleep with all I have to do during the day.
Run more races. A 5k to start, some 10ks, and 1-2 half marathons.
IF and only IF I get into the NYC Marathon lottery, consider doing that one (or perhaps defer for a year).
Lose some/all of the "baby weight." Ideally: 15 pounds. But I'd settle for 10.
Blog more. I like it, and don't usually give myself time to do it.
Meet new people in the Cleveland area (ideally, other moms and/or runners).
Look into a career change. That one, I have only recently been thinking about. Not to say that I definitely want to go back to school right away, or that I even definitely want to leave teaching, but...I want to consider other options, especially since I feel like I started teaching spontaneously (NYCTF program after college) without having a lifelong desire to do it. And I'm not totally sure that's what I want to do for the rest of my life. So anyway, I want to explore my options this year.

Here is a recent picture of Lorelei (although, seriously, there are SO MANY from over the holidays that it was hard to pick just one!):

Haven't left the house in 2 1/2 days

2010-12-10T11:34:00.000-05:00

But dammit, it's ok!

In fact, Lorelei's pediatrician told me the other day, at her 2-month appointment, that "Mom should get some more rest." It's funny--this doctor is EXCELLENT--but she has this quirky way of talking to me through the baby. Examples:

"So little one, are you eating every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day?"
"Are you letting your parents get any sleep these days?"
"Are you smiling and cooing now?" (Uh, do I let her answer, or....)

And the latest one: "You know, lots of people expect mommies to just get back out there and into the swing of things, especially around the holidays! Yep! But you should tell mommy to just rest in bed because then she'll be able to be happier."

Ok, as long as Lorelei approves....!

So that's what I've been doing the past two days. Not resting in bed, but just lounging in PJs without feeling guilty about it. It definitely helped that we had a huge snowstorm on Wednesday so that was a no-brainer. And yesterday, I could have gone out...but that would have meant scraping off the car...nah.

Today though, I do have an appointment at 2pm, so I am going out! I'm dropping Lei (one of our nicknames for her--her initials are L.E.I.) off with Derek at work so I can get a full hour or so to myself. Then it's off to Target to get some stuff for Christmas cookies (Derek's sister Becca is coming this weekend so we'll be a-baking) and to get Lei a little dumb holiday dress for Derek's office party. Blah.

Happy face!

BF: Not my Best Friend

2010-12-09T11:16:00.001-05:00

So, Lorelei is almost 10 weeks old now. In a few more weeks, she'll turn 3 months old (crazy!).

My mother-in-law, "C," told me that when her daughter "M" had her two babies, that she breast fed them for 3 months. "That was enough for her," C said. "She was very committed to it, but 3 months was when she just said, "Okay, moving to formula."

When I first heard this, I have to say, I felt a little bit of pride (or maybe it was self-righteousness?) well up inside of me. Three months!? HA! I'm doing a YEAR! Six months, at minimum. 3 months is NOTHING!

Um....can we make it to three months, already?!

It's not that I am wanting to quit nursing. It's just that I am...considering it. The most important reason is because after all this time, I'm still in pain. There are other reasons that I could add, and which I will add, when weighing the options of this decision. But the only reason I am even thinking about stopping is the pain.

Here's a pro/con list...

PROS: Continue Breastfeeding Because..

It's best for Lorelei
It's "easy" (no bottles to make or clean up)
It's portable
She gains immunity and will rarely get sick (I pass my antibodies on to her through the milk)
Easily digestible for Lorelei; fewer stomach problems (potentially)
Diapers are more "pleasant" (ha ha), less constipation
Weight-loss booster for me
Strong bonding sessions between us
It doesn't cost a cent
less spitting up/gassiness

CONS: Stop Breastfeeding at 3 Months Because...

Pain while nursing (left side only); excruciating at times, other times merely bearable (with Advil).
Recurring clogged ducts and nipple blisters/blebs
Mastitis - for me, the agony of this infection was worse than labor. I have to take Lecithin, a supplement which helps your milk flow easier, 3 times a day or else the clogs come back.
Freedom to go out and leave baby with Derek or sitter without having to pump.
Freedom to drink alcohol without worrying about it getting to the baby.
Freedom to eat anything I please without worrying about reactions/sensitivities (this was a huge problem before, but she has since outgrown the dairy allergy, THANK GOD!, so that's not really an issue. However, sometimes she has horrible gas/fussiness and we can't pinpoint whether it's something I've eaten that is troubling her.)
Can still bond with bottle, as long as I maintain eye contact and snuggle while feeding her.
Derek can have more of an active role in feedings (right now he feeds a bottle about 2x or 3x/week total). This is nice so he can spend more time with Lorelei, but also to relieve me "from my duties" and allow me some more sleep.
Unconfirmed - but theories are that formula-fed babies sleep longer because they are fuller longer, whereas breastfed babies wake more often to feed. Right now Lorelei is waking a minimum of 2x/night to eat and I am getting choppy, restless sleep because of it.
No more NIP (nursing in public). Oh, how I hate that. Or nursing in the car. Or in a public bathroom. God I hate that. I do have a nursing cover, but it's awkward and I am such a modest person that I really feel uncomfortable with NIP.
No more worrying about pumping. I am SO SICK OF PUMPING. Pumping to maintain or build supply, pumping to relieve clogs or PREVENT clogs, pumping to empty the breast if she falls asleep, pumping to have a bottle for Derek in case I have somewhere else to be. Plus I am having very little success while pumping. Not really getting a lot of milk. It's almost better sometimes if I hand-express it. Which is ridiculous and takes FOREVER. Thank god I don't have to go back to work now, because I have nothing saved up at all.
Which leads to....no more feeling incompetent or like a failure. :( Of course, I WILL most definitely feel like a failure for probably a couple weeks when I do decide to stop BFing (provided it's before six months). But right now, I have so many questions. Is she getting enough? Is she gaining enough weight? Is she happy at the breast, or frustrated? Is she constantly hungry? Is she just comfort nursing? With formula (or at least with a bottle - even of expressed milk), I know what she's eating and it's not a guessing game. I know that "we produce what our baby needs" and that nature is a remarkable thing, but I can't help but wonder sometimes if she is unhappy because I am not giving her enough milk. Sometimes I feel as though my right side (which, luckily, never hurts while she nurses) hardly produces anything at all, whereas my left side, my super producer, is the one that KILLS when she nurses. I have seen an LC more than once, have attended multiple breastfeeding classes and groups, have seen a nurse from the OB-GYN's office who specializes in BFing, and have had a nurse come to the house to coach me with her. I have tried a nipple shield. And then a different nipple shield. The left side STILL HURTS. I am so frustrated and don't know what to do!!! Hence feeling like a failure.
Possibly, but maybe not - I will stop being a total bitch due to being overtired and cranky. Maybe I will have more energy and be nice to Derek instead of snapping at him. Maybe I will have more patience with Lorelei when she is screaming and crying, instead of crying myself and passing her off to Derek so I can cry in the shower.

Whew.

As you can probably tell, this is a highly sensitive, emotional decision for me. It consumes most of my day. It's not an easy decision to make. And the question I guess becomes, whose health is more "important?" Mine, or Lorelei's? Yes, BFing provides her with everything she needs. It is the "perfect food." But is that more important than having a mom who is happy and well-rested? Who has more energy to take care of her and play with her because she is not throughly exhausted and both physically and emotionally drained every day?

I do want to wait until three months, though, because I have heard that things improved drastically at this point for most babies, even ones with colic (which I am pretty sure Lorelei has). Maybe once she starts sleeping more and being less irritable, I will relax, produce more milk, be less stressed, etc. Maybe the pain will subside, like so many BFing veterans have told me. Maybe.

I guess I'll just have to see what three months will bring.

Back from NY

2010-12-06T10:28:00.000-05:00

I never thought I'd say this, but...I am glad to be back in Cleveland!

During our two weeks in New York, I kept thinking about all the places I wanted to go and things I wanted to do--back home. This is big for me. Since moving from NY 2 1/2 years ago, I have always missed it. I still do, but I never missed HOME when I was visiting, well...my first home!

Lorelei did great in New York. Of course, she still had her incredibly fussy moments, but, considering we were in a new environment, she slept fairly well. And she even transitioned back to our own apartment nicely! (Except for the fact that since we had turned the heat off when traveling, our apartment was friggin' FREEZING for a few hours while it warmed up.) She's been giggling and smiling more often. She's napping now in her swing, which we both missed very much (mostly me, because it is a surefire way to get her to calm down and/or nap while I take care of chores and stuff).

While in NY, we visited a store called Waddle 'N Swaddle in Poughkeepsie (right near Vassar's campus -- we took a day trip there). We throughly spoiled Lorelei by getting her some really nice stuff, including two blankets from Tickety Bu and (for me AND her) a Beco baby carrier (the one pictured here is the design we got). I'll have to post some pictures soon (this is obviously NOT me! Ha ha).

We also visited Vassar's campus and ate at The Dutch Cabin...oh, the memories.

We saw a bunch of friends during this visit, including Trish, Eliza, Heather, and Mike (who came over the day after Thanksgiving); Matt and Sarah (who we visited in Brooklyn); Rob (with whom we met up for dinner); and Kristin and Wil (who had us over to their Washington Heights apartment this past Friday night.

All in all, we had a great time, but I was very glad to get back home last night.

Lorelei at almost 9 weeks

Today is a perfect day for just sitting around the apartment, as it has started snowing and it's supposed to continue! Hopefully Lorelei will continue to take good naps today so that I can get some stuff done around the house. But, as I've learned so far, never expect anything to happen...just take it as it comes. If cleaning doesn't get done, it doesn't.

We definitely have hardly any food in the house. I was going to go to the store, but with the snow, I think I may just do a makeshift meal in the crock pot instead!

Here's a picture of Lorelei in her car seat on our way to see Kristin. (This was BEFORE she started screaming her head off in the car...oy vey.)

Just a couple more weeks until Derek and I go to Michigan to spend time with his family! He's going to use the rest of his vacation days, so he'll be off as of December 18th. And I think Derek's sister Becca will be paying us a visit next weekend to hang out and give us a hand. Something to look forward to!

This run was made possible by the Glee Pandora station

2010-11-30T08:29:00.001-05:00

BREAKTHROUGH!
I ran for the first time in six months yesterday!!

I am spending two weeks in New York with my family (we came out almost a week early for Thanksgiving, and then decided to extend our stay because Derek has a conference in the city this week and didn't want to travel back and forth). I packed not one, but two running outfits. I had such grand ideas about doing a crisp, sunny Thanksgiving morning run, reminiscent of the great one I did in 2007 in Riverside Park by the George Washington bridge--never forget that feeling!

But low and behold, stuff happened. Most notably that I got a bad cold and that the baby was not napping and was VERY cranky, making it nearly impossible to just feel okay about passing her off to someone and go running. So my plan for a Thanksgiving run came and went. I imagined all the Turkey Trots I was missing and got a little sad.

But then an amazing thing happened. Well, two amazing things. One: I started to feel better VERY quickly. That almost never happens. Actually, let me clarify: I used to never get over colds for like a week. Then I started running, and I virtually stopped getting colds, or if I got one, it was gone in about two days. (In fact, amazingly, the entire time I was pregnant, I only got sick once, right at the beginning, and it was very brief. I haven't had a cold since January.) When I stopped running due to being--well, humongous--and then stopped walking so much a couple months later, I dreaded getting sick because I thought that my immune system--previously protected by running--would be like, "WTF?" and leave me sick for a long time.

But no! Apparently I have trained my body to reject sickness. Nice! I must have residual runner's health. Either that, or the prenatal vitamins that I am still taking are actually doing more than giving me strong nails and hair.

Anyway, the second amazing thing that happened was that the weather...actually...stayed....sunny and beautiful for a few days! What?! (Now watch, now that I said it, it's going to snow.) But yesterday was the perfect opportunity. Derek was working, but my mom and Jack were both home on vacation. It was mid-day and about 50 degrees (perfect!). I fed Lorelei, then changed and was out! I took only my phone, which, with headphones, can double as a music player thanks to the Pandora app. My plan was to walk/run for one mile. Just one! I asked Jack for a route that was either about a mile or which would take me no more than 20-30 minutes to walk/run. I got the info, and was out the door!

The Glee station on Pandora, might I just mention, is awesome! I heard a few winners, including "Eye of the Tiger," which was just perfect because it was right as I was starting out.

To be honest, I was very happy with the amount that I was actually able to run. I thought I would start out all show-offy and strong, and then stop gasping for air after two minutes, clutching my side as I walked it off. Like I used to. (This is square one, isn't it?) But, amazingly, it wasn't like that at all. Not only did I retain all the "muscle memory" on how to maintain a good stride and run economically and all that, but I didn't lose my breath. Maybe that's because I didn't go off sprinting down the road like I had naively tried when I first attempted running five years ago. (Geez--has it really been five years?!) No, the reason I slowed to a walk three or four times during this mile was a combination of: 1) running stitch in my upper stomach - funny how those present themselves more when you're first starting out; 2) very rationally (ha ha) not wanting to "push it" too soon because I knew I'd probably be sorry. If there was an instance during the run where I was like, "Hmm. Should I keep running, or should I walk here?" and I was in mild to medium discomfort, I usually walked. Nobody needs to be sidelined even longer by a dumb injury. (Listen to me, all calm and mature. Yeah, right!)

I made it back as Jack was out walking the dog....and part of me thinks he might have gone out to check up on me because both he and my mom were a little bit nervous about it. That is so funny to me. But it's cute.

Here is the route I ran. (Actually, according to gmap pedometer, it was 1.6 miles!)

In other news, Derek's dad and grandpa want a picture of the three of us for their Christmas letter..but Lorelei was not having any of it! She cried the entire time. Here's a semi-decent one:

Anyway, that's all for now! Have a great Tuesday.

Never leave home without these five things

2010-11-16T23:58:00.002-05:00

1. Pacifier
2. Change of clothes for baby
3. Ziploc bags to put gross things in
4 and 5. Your boobs.

Today Lorelei had to have an ultrasound of her hip done. I made sure I nursed for as long as she wanted before leaving. However, low and behold, she was hungry again during the ultrasound! (growth spurt, probably).

Anyway, the technician could not get a good picture because of Lorelei's fussing and squirming. She asked if I had a pacifier, and I said no. I didnt think to bring a bottle of breast milk either since we were gone such a short time. I tried giving my pinky...nope, not good enough!

The technician said, "We have some sugar water. Can we give it to her?" I almost gave in, but then said, "This is gong to sound weird, but can I breastfeed while you give the exam?" to which she replied, "Of course!"

So I leaned over and nursed her and the tech got her pictures!!! LOL! It wasn't too comfortable to bend over, but oh well. It had to be done.

Of course, in true baby fashion, she dirtied not one, but TWO sheets, and three towels. Yep, she peed twice, and sharted twice. Nice job little one!

Fussy Time: It's not just for babies

2010-11-15T14:34:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about "Fussy time" today. Although most babies do have a few hours or so each night where they are acting extra...well...nuts, we all stress about it and sometimes even call it "colic." Even though babies cry! A lot! They're supposed to. But sometimes, adults get just as fussy about it.

Like me! I stress out at practically anything and everything. And, after a good day with (hopefully) 2-3 naps for Lorelei and one for me, a nice bath, changing, feeding, burping, and snuggling...it is stressful and confusing for parents when babies just act like a crazy baby has taken his or her place. "Why now?" we say. As adults, we want to relax at night. We've had a busy day, we've worked, ran errands, etc. and now we have cooking and dinner to accomplish. Yes, it IS an accomplishment to cook dinner with a whiny baby! Even bigger of an accomplishment is when we actually have a second to sit down and EAT said dinner. Derek and I often have to take turns soothing the baby while the other scarfs down dinner. And, even more often, even if Lorelei has ALREADY eaten, she'll have to have dinner #2 before I can even have dinner #1. So my dinner gets cold, and I'm cranky because of hunger. And Derek is probably getting work done, and even if he's not, he wants some time to unwind too and just enjoy the baby - not console her.

Enter adult fussiness! During the day, we adults expect to be annoyed at stuff. Daytime is for doing important stuff. Nighttime is for doing what WE want. Wait, what?! There IS no more "what we want?" Oh, right, I forgot. This pisses me off! Making my tolerance for baby's screams lower. Adult fussiness, I tell ya!

In other news...the question of the day for babywearing moms is...

How do I, like, go to the bathroom when my baby is sleeping in the Moby?

Answer:
Very carefully.

A swing is not a boob (and other six-week musings)

2010-11-14T08:22:00.001-05:00

Today marked Lorelei's six-week birthday (at 6:17 am! Hell yes I was awake). So many things have been going so much better, and others have been continuing to confuse and frustrate us.

Right now Lorelei is spending some time in her lambie swing, which she just loves! However, something strange has happened. The last few times she's been in there, she has craned her neck to one side and started to fake nurse on the pillow part of the swing! WTF!?! And I know she's not hungry, because I just fed her.

This, of course, worries me a bit due to the whole SIDS thing - is she going to smother in there? But the other part of me is just amused, because, well, she nurses probably 18 out of 24 hours every day, it's no wonder she is always looking for a boob!

The other thing she's doing in the swing right now--and in general--is smiling, cooing, and making baby noises other than crying. That is a huge relief. Not only that she is somehow developing different types of communication skills, but also that I know that she's not really so unhappy all the time, which I had no way of knowing before.

Nursing is going "well," by which I mean it's still going. I've had a bunch of problems thus far, but luckily none of them have gotten in the way of our Little Miss getting enough to eat. Last week I got mastitis and had to go on antibiotics. :( Three weeks ago I also stopped eating dairy products because of "interesting" diaper colors and textures. However, I've also sorta stopped eating peanuts/peanut butter..and decided to try it out this morning (had a tablespoon of PB on bread). If she has a reaction, then it's possible it's peanuts and NOT dairy (because those two were the only two foods I really consumed on a daily basis). So I'll try a switch if that happens. OR, it could be both! Wonderful. Can you imagine if I had to go about my running life without eating peanut butter?! That's my go-to long run/race pre-snack. Well, I won't jump to conclusions yet...of course, I could always avoid this issue and give formula so that my diet doesn't have to change. But I'm not really interested in that option yet.

Sleeping is sort of better, but not great. For a while, she was only sleeping in the swing for extended periods of time (the longest being 4 or 5 hours overnight) and only like 30 minutes to an hour in the crib or bassinet (and that was if we could even get her to fall asleep--usually putting her down on a flat surface rouses her and she starts crying, even if she is in a deep sleep!). But the last two nights we have been trying harder with the bassinet, because we will be traveling next week for Thanksgiving and won't have the swing with us! She has been doing pretty well - I think she has gotten up to about 2 or 2 1/2 hours now in that. Maybe even 3 hours, although honestly, any times recorded between the hours of midnight and 6 am are quite fuzzy to me, so apologies for not remembering accurately!

Also, we've found this technique from The Happiest Baby on the Block which includes the 5 Ss: Swaddling, Side/Stomach position, Swinging, Shushing, and Sucking. It's pretty amazing how the "shushing" part works. You kind of have to do it loudly, and it sounds like waves crashing or something (and it's more like "shhhhh" than "shushhh"). It's supposed to mimic the sounds inside your uterus--in fact, all of the 5 Ss are supposed to recreate that. Dr. Karp (the creator of this technique) calls the first three months of life "The Fourth Trimester," where babies are really not used to life outside the womb yet. Makes sense!! And, while I cannot "shhhh" all night long, our Cloud B Sleep Sheep helps TREMENDOUSLY with this! There are four sounds: a heartbeat; whale sounds; rain, and ocean waves (which sounds like the "shhh"ing).

Other observations of the past couple of weeks:
1) Your baby will probably have more clothes in one drawer than you have in your entire closet.
2) Some burp cloths are meant to be thrown out. As in, the ones you have to mop up baby crap with.
3) A thank-you email is sometimes necessary instead of a thank-you card in order to maintain sanity (and still give you time to nap).
4) Despite the persistent advice to "avoid housework," you'll still feel self-conscious when a visitor comes, clearing the couch of baby blankets and discarded nursing bras in order to make them feel welcome.
5) A GOOD breastpump is essential! I just ordered the Ameda Purely Yours, which is due to arrive soon, because my manual pump wasn't exactly productive enough.
6) Do NOT skip coffee. Just don't.
7) Have water/snacks at a number of "stations" throughout the apartment, because you never know where you'll be nursing, and you want to be well-stocked wherever you are.

In other news: I had my first workout post-baby! I went to a yoga class called "Beginners and Beyond Ashtanga Yoga." Um, more like beyond beginners! Not too fun. And I'm not really a huge fan of the Astanga style, I realize now. It's ok! Just glad I got back out there. I have my six-week checkup tomorrow, so I'll ask the doctor when it's ok to resume running. Not like I have the time OR energy right now! We'll see.

Here's a recent pic of Lorelei in her crib!

Things I wish I'd been told about having a baby (part 1)

2010-10-29T11:35:00.003-04:00

Here is a list (most likely, an ongoing one) of things I wish someone had told me beforehand about this baby business! I've organized them into categories. Enjoy! (Note: many things are TMI so read at your own risk...)

Labor and Delivery
1. You WILL poop on the delivery table.
2. But you really won't care!
3. In fact, all the crazy things you do and say during labor and delivery are in no way representative of how you'd "normally" act. This is imperative if you want to actually let labor progress. (See "letting your monkey do it.")
4. Even if you create a birth plan, things will probably go a little differently than you anticipate. Better to have a birth plan in your heart and head, and concentrate on that, in order to get the experience you want.
5. If you're using an OB, he/she will probably suggest you schedule an induction for around 41 weeks. You have the right to say no, though.

Recovery/Postnatal Care
1. The nurses will make you get up to pee soon after birth. They'll even follow you into the bathroom. But they'll probably be nice and run the water in the sink and look away while you do it.
2. Remember these items: peri bottle, peri pad, sitz bath, perineal spray. These will be your best friends for roughly 2-3 weeks postpartum.
3. Even if you don't think you need it, TAKE IBUPROFEN for pain! You might also get a prescription for percoset - I don't really think that was necessary, but I'm sure those who had a c-section would probably want that. Oh, and they'll probably recommend you take stool softeners too. Good idea! (Btw, I was really scared about the first postpartum poop, but it was really ok.)
4. If you've had stitches, then burning, itching, etc. is all normal as the incision heals!!!!
5. Expect to wear humongous, mesh granny panties for a few days after birth. The hospital usually provides these (and more maxi-pads then you've seen since since middle school).
6. Go to Target and buy even more maxi pads. Seriously. You'll need 'em. Even if you don't actually (TMI warning!) soak through them, you'll want to change them often because..well, you know. Gross.

Breastfeeding
1. It is NOT easy! It takes time, for you and baby, to understand each other and to "sync up."
2. If you are BFing, start early. Try not to let the nurses take your baby from you until you get a chance to nurse for the first time.
3. For the first few days, you'll feel like your body is not producing anything, and that your baby isn't getting anything. Don't worry - it is and he/she is. The colostrum is highly rich in nutrients and is considered the "perfect food" for your baby. His/her stomach is so tiny at birth so he/she doesn't need a lot anyway. Just keep feeding, and your body will provide what your baby needs.
4. When your milk comes in, you'll feel totally weird! You might even get a low-grade fever (100s). Normal. A little massage, a warm washcloth and/or shower, and perhaps some pumping to relieve engorgement will work.
5. Even though a lot of "experts" will say that BFing shouldn't hurt if baby is latched correctly, IT DOES HURT! It can hurt for a number of reasons and on a scale spanning just weird and uncomfortable to sharp shooting pain. Be sure to be aware of certain conditions (mastitis, thrush), but if you don't have those, your boobs can often be heavy, sore, tender, warm to the touch, etc. You might feel like a knitting needle is being poked all the way through your boob when your baby latches. This will get better with time.
6. Also, the positioning will get easier as your baby learns to support his/her head better and gets bigger. At first, I couldn't do ANYTHING but support her with both hands as she fed. Now...typing one handed works!
7. FIND A GOOD LACTATION CONSULTANT you trust and/or (even better) a breastfeeding support group. These are invaluable. You meet other new moms, you have a quiet and respectful place to nurse and you get to share stories. Plus, the LC is there for advice and for "freebies" (last week she gave out free bottles the hospital didn't need and a recipe for oatmeal cookies to build supply; this week she had candy for Halloween). Even if you're not a joiner, try it.

Crying/Not Sleeping
1.As much as you think you "know" that babies cry...it will still break your heart when they do!
2.Your baby will probably be fussy every evening for no explained reason. This is not necessarily colic. All babies have a fussy time; you just have to figure out what that is for your baby.
3. Your baby might have gas and/or intolerances to foods you eat. You'll know this by, well, gasiness, EXTREME fusiness, and (gross) green/mucuosy diapers. You may have to cut out some things from your diet if your baby is reacting to something you eat and you want to continue to breastfeed. There are LOTS of support groups out there on the web, especially at Baby Center.
4. Another really wonderful, comprehensive site about BFing and parenting is Kelly Mom.
5. There are a bunch of differing opinions on whether or not babies should be put on a schedule, letting babies cry it out, and sleeping through the night. Most everyone will recommend a book for you to read. I have read literature/articles from both the Cry-it-Out camp and the Attachment Parenting (AP) camp. I personally have discovered myself to be more of an AP parent myself. But you can and should decide for your family and your baby which is best for all of you. Many moms might tell you to read On Becoming Babywise. After reading that book and then The Baby Sleep Book by the Sears family, I think the latter is more comprehensive and more my style. That's just my opinion though!! :) Some other good methods I've heard about are The Baby Whisperer and Zen Baby.

Products We Can't Live Without
1. Moby wrap - stops crying/fussing within five minutes! Great to have on while you do other stuff so you can be hands-free. Also great for walks when you don't want to schlep carseat/stroller everywhere.
2. Baby swing - HELLO! Best thing ever! Baby will ALWAYS sleep in the swing (even if she won't always sleep in the crib..oy vey.)
3. Boppy - or some variation therof. Could not get through the BFing without it!!

And Finally..
1. Take a shower EVERY DAY! It's ok. Just put your baby in a safe place (crib, bassinet, pack n play, strapped in car seat/other seat) and give yourself some time!!!
2. Drink LOTS of water! This is something I have to force myself to remember to do. Also, eating at regular intervals so that you're not starving and as cranky as your baby.
3. I'm not going to tell you to sleep when the baby sleeps. That piece of advice is so overused and really like a "duh." However, I WILL tell you that for the most part, you WON'T sleep when the baby sleeps. In fact, you'll more likely SWEEP when the baby sleeps. At least I do, because I'd rather feel in control of the cleanliness of my apartment and keeping up with my stuff. Maybe after a little while I will sleep more. But it's nice to be up and around the apartment when the baby is sleeping because you have some "free time." I do try to get in one nap per day, though.
3. Basically, take care of yourself first, so that you can take care of your little one. And ask for help!!!!

Ok! Wow. I'm sure there will be more....but that's it for now!

Filed under the "Never to do again with a newborn" list

2010-10-18T07:18:00.000-04:00

If you ever find yourself invited to a wedding less than a month after the birth of your child, and said wedding is far, far away (like a 7-hour car ride) JUST SAY NO! Hehe.

Well, it wasn't that bad. One of Derek's oldest friends, Nate, got married in Philly this Saturday. We had known about this wedding, had saved the date and RSVPed (all while I was knowingly pregnant). Derek wasn't IN the wedding, but there was also no wedding party, so he would have been if there had been one. Basically, he couldn't miss this wedding.

I was considering not going, but then I sorta got excited about seeing some old friends from New York there. Plus, my mom and my stepdad Jack were meeting there to take care of Lorelei during the wedding, and we had gotten the hotel rooms, and the pediatrician said it was ok, and...!! We were off!

It actually was very nice, once we were there. The wedding was in the hotel we were staying in; the festivities on Friday night were held only three blocks away; I was able to find a place to get my nails done within walking distance (and oh how nice that was!); our friends got to meet the baby; AND we got to see our friend get married. But man, those car rides sucked!

Not really for Lorelei. She slept pretty much the entire time. But we had to stop twice as much as normal to feed her, and change her, and then go to the bathroom ourselves, and then find something not too gross to eat...it was waaaay too much trouble. And way too much for just one weekend! We'll be driving to NY about a week before Thanksgiving, and staying with my family for that whole time. So, while that drive will be heinous too, at least we won't have to turn around and come back in two days.

That's about it for now..here's an up-to-date picture of Lorelei, who just had her two-week birthday yesterday!

Lorelei is here!

2010-10-10T08:53:00.000-04:00

On October 3, 2010, at 6:17 in the morning, we welcomed our daughter Lorelei into the world!


Lorelei Evelyn Iris, 7 pounds 6 ounces, 19.5 inches long

Our family is doing great. We have gotten hardly any sleep (of course), but we are slowly but surely adjusting to life on "the other side!" And it's a great feeling!

Choosing Not to Lose

2010-09-23T13:57:00.000-04:00

So, I am currently watching the season premiere of The Biggest Loser (DVRed) from Tuesday night, and I was rather shocked when I watched contestants in Portland, OR compete in a one-mile race and this happened:

Burgandy is first to finish. Tina passes Corey, who falls down after pushing himself too hard. It was painful watching Corey fall for everyone except Team Tina, who was like "yay!"

Photo courtesy of media.oregonlive.com

For anyone who saw this, how did you feel about Tina pushing past Corey for the final spot? One one hand, I know she was just trying to help herself, and she felt that coming in second place, and thus guaranteeing her entry onto the ranch, would help save her life. On the other hand, is there no compassion and sportsmanship even in a competition? I'm pretty sure if she and her crew would have stopped and tried to help Corey up, and then continued on, she still could have made it (Corey was in no way running any more after his second spill).

It made me think about this little clip in this past Runner's World (from the "What it takes to.." section) which talks about a woman who was aiming to win a race, and saw one runner ahead of her about to cross the finish line. When the woman in the lead collapsed suddenly, the other runner didn't just ignore that and run past to victory. Instead, she stopped, helped the other runner up, and they crossed the finish line together. (Can't find the story online, but it was in the October '10 issue I think.)

I know that personal gains are important in competitions, whether for weight loss or for PRs. But I couldn't just turn my head like that if someone were in trouble. Thoughts?

September!

2010-09-01T14:27:00.000-04:00

Oh, joy. Now if it weren't 90 degrees, we'd be onto something....

So, what's different about this September? Well, for starters, I am not preparing for, nor am I looking for, a job. Which is a bit weird, but kind of refreshing.

Also...I am neither preparing for nor looking for any fall races. Even weirder.

Instead, I am in in full nesting mode, preparing for the arrival of our baby!!!! TOTALLY WEIRD!

It's hot, I'm cranky, but I'm happy. I'll be 37 weeks on Friday. Derek and I are going to take a short trip to Geneva on the Lake, OH (just an hour away) to stay at a nice hotel and just enjoy relaxing before the baby comes. Too bad I can't partake of the local wineries...or the running/bike trails...shoot.

I have been super busy cleaning, organizing, doing laundry, assembling baby gear...when I'd normally be running. Again, weird. Especially since I haven't raced at all in 2010 and probably won't (unless I aim to walk a Turkey Trot or maybe run (not race) a December 5k. I MISS IT!!!

Here's a recent pic of me (taken yesterday):

Not sure how much more I'll be posting until after the birth, but I can't wait to share the news with you all!

I suck

2010-08-06T13:04:00.000-04:00

at posting lately! Geez.

Just wanted to put a note out there that all is well. I see Blogger has made some updates. Yikes, I guess it's been awhile!

Highlights of the past few weeks....
-33 weeks along today! Getting down to the wire. Big ol' bump!
-have been working (slowly but) steadily on the baby's room. Will post pics when it's done!
-only 2 more weeks of work until I have time off for the baby!
-went to the dentist...yay? Well, it needed to be done.
-lots of nesting, cleaning, organizing, etc. Sadly though, no running. At all. It's ok though. But seriously, can you moms out there assure me that it WILL happen again? 'Cause I can't even take a walk these days without feeling winded. I guess it's a combination of the oppressive heat as well as the fact that I feel like I have a bowling ball attached to my front. (a very sweet, cute, lovable bowling ball).

How are all of you? Summer rocks, right? Can't wait until next summer, when I can actually have a drink!

Off the face of the Earth

2010-07-10T18:40:00.000-04:00

Yikes! It's been awhile since my last posting. I had sorta told myself that I was going to make a concerted effort to blog more often now that summer's here. Well, my intentions were good. My excuse (mainly) is that I have been traveling recently. My husband and I spent a little over a week in Walloon Lake, Michigan at his family's lake house. Pure bliss! While we were there, we relaxed, read, grilled out, baked 2 pies, went to a Farmer's Market and a couple of small towns, and just had a really great time. I think our little one enjoyed it too!

Here's a calm, quiet view of the lake at sunset (which, in northern MI is at around 10 pm!)

Here's me after an "attempt" to go running (mostly just a brisk walk) at 28 weeks preg:

These are a couple of pictures of the Farmer's Market we visited in Boyne City:

(Handmade baby hats for $2 each!)

Now, I'm in NY visiting my parents. My cousin Josh's wedding is on Sunday in Big Indian, NY (yep, I'd never heard of this town, either, but it's somewhere upstate near Woodstock). Hopefully the hot and muggy weather will leave us for the time it takes for them to get married (outside)!

Anyway, that's about all. 29 weeks along today, and I feel pretty good! (Except our little girl keeps kicking me right in the ribs and has a body part kinda rammed up in there. Ouch!

Oh yeah, Derek started painting the nursery the other day...he finished today and it looks great! Here's the "unfinished" photo. I will post more when everything is all set up in there.

What a good man - he did it all by himself! :)

Mess-age

2010-06-19T18:20:00.002-04:00

I must be one of the only people in the world leaving a professional massage feeling worse then when she walked in!

My mom got me a bunch of Spa Finder coupons as a shower gift (so nice!) and I decided to use a couple of them at this local "petite salon & spa" nearby. (The place shall remain nameless, as I am about to bash them to bits online!) I had been craving a prenatal massage for quite awhile, and decided to treat myself yesterday.

I admit, when I walked in to book the appointment, what I saw was a tiny salon with a room in the back for massages. But I didn't let that deter me, thinking, a)"don't judge a book by its cover" and b) "it's so close by, you can walk there and then take a leisurely stroll home, you don't have to worry about parking or navigating a new neighborhood." I did ask specifically if they offered prenatal massage, and the salon owner said yes.

When I arrived for my massage yesterday, the masseuse was not there yet. I guess it was ok since I was a little early. I had a seat and started waiting. In the background was really LOUD and annoying be-bop type jazz - as well as some hip-hop that one of the manicurists decided to have playing from her phone on Pandora. I thought to myself, "Is there any way that I will NOT hear this music during my relaxation time?!?!"

The massage therapist arrived about five minutes late, and then had to "prep the room." I was invited in by the salon owner, but was not offered a drink of water or anything else that one might expect before getting a massage - not to mention a prenatal massage on an 85-degree day! I mean, I've gone to hair salons that have offered me a drink before. I thought it was just par for the course. I mean, I wasn't expecting fresh cucumber water, but something. Oh well.

I go in an am not even greeted by the therapist - just instructed to undress and lie on my back (another sort of red flag - lying on one's back for an extended time in pregnancy isn't exactly recommended). I figured that it would just be for a little while to do the neck and scalp and then she'd have me lie on my side.

Well, the first thing I notice in the room is that there's a CD player playing - gag - smooth jazz. Ugh! Ok, maybe I've been spoiled in the past, but I have always had some kind of new-age music, or maybe ambient noise or nature sounds. But elevator music? That is not relaxing. Plus, I could hear the main room's music loud and clear. Also? You know how it's sorta supposed to be dim in a massage room? Well, the lights were off, but there happened to be a SKYLIGHT right above the table!!! Are you kidding me? And I guess they knew that was bad, because they TAPED a pillowcase over the skylight with blue tape. Wow.

The table was set up with what seemed like sheets from this person's home, complete with mismatched, stained pillowcases to bolster me up and make me "comfortable."

She asked me if I would like the table heated, and I said no. But it was anyway. When I mentioned this, she was like "Oh! I guess she plugged it in before I could check with you." I was starting to trickle sweat. And the lotion she was using was not really pleasing, especially when she went to war with my face (seriously! I felt like I had signed up for a facial!).

By the time she was done with my shoulders, neck, face, and scalp, I was about ready to change positions. But then she got to work on one of my legs and feet. And WHOOAAAA, for some reason I was not feeling good. At first I found myself a little short of breath. Then my head started to spin. I don't know if I was having a panic attack, or whether certain toxins were being released, but for the first time in my life I had to stop a massage. I said, "Excuse me, I'm sorry, but I am feeling really dizzy and nauseous. Do you think I could get some water?" I sat up at that moment and just felt like I was going to pass out. Wow, horrible! They didn't have any bottles of water so she got me a mug and filled it from the sink. Sweat was pouring down my body. I don't know what happened! Maybe I was just worried about things, like getting dehydrated, and being overly paranoid that maybe she was not experienced enough in prenatal and was going to do something weird like trigger contractions. Plus there was no air circulating in the tiny room and the lotion scent was making me queasy. In any case, I told her that I needed to lie on my side from that point on.

After I finished the water, and lay back down on my side, I began to feel a lot better. Still, just as I started to get comfortable and into it, she would continue to make small talk with me. Like, I understand this when you're getting your hair or nails done, but I don't really think a massage is time to be having a conversation. Maybe it's just me.

She did ask me if I would like more water when we were done, which I happily took. I put on a fake smile when I went out to the main area and coughed up three of my coupons with regret. I did tip the masseuse, because most of this wasn't her fault and was just a result of working in a crappy place (though her bedside manner could use a little work.)

Walked home and felt alright, but then spent the evening feeling way too dehydrated and had a TON of Braxton-Hicks contractions, which got me worried. But I eventually felt like I was able to relax.

Bottom line: next time I will go to a place that ...

1- specializes in prenatal;
2- has a clean, professional environment; and/or
3- makes me feel pampered.

Because it's different if I go to get my nails done or something, and then I see that they also offer massages, and I know it's not going to be super great. But it's one thing to advertise yourself as a spa and then offer pretty much nothing more than a closed door, a lit candle, and some lotion. Not worth the 85 bucks for sure!!!

THANKS for listening to my rant!

Hit Refresh to Reload.

2010-06-14T11:29:00.001-04:00

Hi! I just spent about an hour re-reading some of my old posts from last summer and fall. I really did write a lot! I know that this was due to a few key factors:

I was unemployed and looking for work. Hence, I sort of made updating my daily "job."
I was undergoing extremely rigorous training and therefore had many stories to tell.
I was getting used to a new city, with many new discoveries to write about each week.

Well, let's reassess with where things are now:

I am not exactly unemployed at the moment, but after a full 8 months of working my tail off, my after-school program responsibilities have come to a close. Therefore, although I'm teaching on occasion, I am not a "9 to 5er" anymore.
No more marathon training, or really running either. :( However: training for parenthood! So much to say!
I am used to Cleveland now, but there's always new stuff to write about and new things to see now that we are exploring more of the outskirts of the city.

So, therefore: I really have no excuse not to blog more regularly now that my days are opening up a bit! And, as I've already learned, there are plenty of running moms out there (and/or pregnant runners) who I am sure won't find my constant pregnancy chatter annoying! ;)

Alright, let the new blogging year begin! And to leave you with a funny image...this was taken in NY (I recently visited for my baby shower) while indulging in my first real "slice" in almost a year. NOTHING compares to NY Pizza!!

Hot as _______________

2010-06-13T12:31:00.000-04:00

Feel free to fill in the blank with whatever clean or vulgar phrase comes to mind!

Seriously, though, Ohio? What are you doing?!?!?!? I thought the midwest was supposed to be fairly mild until at least July. Well, I guess not. It's mainly the humidity, but that's a beast!!

Today marks the one-year anniversary of us moving to Ohio. It's pretty exciting and went by so fast! We actually have been here longer than I lived in Wisconsin.

We're about to go on a walk now, and I decided to wear my new running (well, I guess now it's walk/jogging) skirt! Nice stretchy waist...very comfy. Plus I decided to pair it with my NYC Half-Marathon t-shirt, partially because it actually covers my entire belly, but also to make myself feel extra good! That was my first half and I will always remember it...(as being Hot as _________ among other things!)

This is me at 25 (ish) weeks. Only three months 'til September!

All things Prenatal

2010-06-12T16:36:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I feel totally accomplished today!

I went to my first prenatal yoga class. It was so great! Wow. It was just what I needed. Any moms-to-be out there who haven't tried it, I highly recommend it. I went to Puma Yoga in Lakewood. It was the perfect blend of meditation, light stretching, relaxation, and a little bit of strengthening. Perfect! Plus, I also got to meet other Cleveland area moms-to-be, which was SUPER great because I really have not met any other women in my area who are pregnant! Maybe after a few classes with these women, we'll exchange numbers or something. That would be really nice, and helpful too.

Then, I registered myself and Derek for a bunch of classes that I've been meaning to sign us up for: A Birthing Preparation/Lamaze class in August; Infant and Child CPR in July; and a Breastfeeding Basics class in September. Wow, all this stuff is really happening now! It's a relief that I got that registration out of the way.

In other news....I decided to try a new layout! So different from the last one, but I kinda like it.

Finally, I am trying my best to avoid the World Cup madness. Sorry, I know I should be a "sport," but it is so boring! And my living room is hot! Ugh. Time to sit in my air-conditioned room and read awhile...

Coming to Terms

2010-05-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

Ok, I think I have finally stopped feeling sorry for myself.

I'm feeling pretty great these days! Second trimester is pretty awesome. The only odd part is the whole round ligament/braxton hicks thing I'm still getting used to. Strange! It's funny how my body is changing. I'm not hating it that much though!

Of course, I was thrown for a loop when my doctor mentions that perhaps I gained too much weight at my last prenatal appointment....dammit! I knew I shouldn't have eaten Chipotle the night before! Well, even if it wasn't just me retaining water, I guess I haven't been "reeling it in" as much as I would have liked between weeks 16-20. But I am more aware of stuff now, so I'm hoping that my weight gain will be on target at my next appointment (at 23 weeks). Arg.

I watched my friend Claire run the Cleveland Half Marathon today. It was really exciting, because they ran right through a section of Tremont, my neighbhorhood. And it was easy to find a spot to cheer for about a half-hour because it's not a mob scene like NY or anything. Funny thing is, she saw me before I saw her! That figures. She was already passing me before I could shout, "Woohoo!"

It did get me a little emotional, though. I cannot lie. I couldn't help but think, "I should be running this!" But I quickly stopped that. Besides, Derek made me feel a lot better when he said that next year, he would bring our little girl out to that same spot to watch me if I wanted to run it. (Did I mention we're having a girl? YAY!). So I thought about stuff I can do, and how to make it work for me. After I was done watching, I went for a two-mile walk with a bit of "fartlek" (although not speedy fartlek, just regular running) thrown in for good measure. Like I'd walk for a couple blocks, then say, "Ok, now run to that mailbox," or "Run to the end of the next block." It was good, but for some reason my bladder was feeling it a lot today during the running parts! Oh well.

This afternoon I plan on seeing the movie Babies. Very excited for that! Other than that, just relaxing on this Sunday afternoon.

Hitting the Wall, Part II

2010-05-02T21:19:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I feel like I have hit a new kind of "wall" this week. The "I can't friggin run ONE MILE without stopping to walk" wall!!!

I'm not even that big yet. I'm showing, yeah, but really I just feel oaflike and sluggish on the road, not glowing and pregnant. Ugh!

And I don't want to stop running. I won't, not at least for another month or two. But I am seriously having to redefine my expectations of what I can do.

Yoga has been an enormous help. And walking is great too. But DAMMIT, I want to RUN! Forget that, I want to RACE!

There was a local 5k today (the Lakewood Hospital Ambulance Chase) that I thought I could possibly run...jog? Run/walk? But I didn't. I don't know why. There was even a 5k walk associated with it that I could have done. But I was afraid. Afraid of being disappointed in my time, in myself for not being fit. Which is ridiculous! But still. Eh, I probably should have gone, just so I could have participated in something and felt "the buzz" of race day once again. Haven't felt that since December.

Any suggestions? I really don't want to become "a walker" but I also want to be able to participate in local events. I could possibly lightly train for a 5k if I knew I had to go at least 1-2 min/mile slower than I used to. Well, maybe that would get me out of my non-running funk.

Join the Club

2010-04-25T19:11:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

Well, I've gotta get something off my chest that's been bugging me.

I feel like I have left one "club" and have joined another. And I want to be a member of both!

What I'm talking about is "being a runner" vs. "being pregnant." Now, I know I can do both, but I am finding it so incredibly difficult to run these days! Whether it's because of my EXTREME exhaustion, making it impossible to get up an hour earlier for a morning run, or to drag myself out after work for an evening run....or because it is like my body feels like a ton of bricks WHILE I'm running..I just feel so out of it.

And out of the loop! Now that Spring is here, I am aware of all these great races around me, including half-marathons, 10-milers, and a slew of 5ks. In another other year, I would be signing up for them all. Yesterday I went to (easy) yoga, and then to a diner where about twenty runners with medals were hanging out stuffing their faces because they had just done an awesome race! A race I was sad not to have run.

I know, I know - pregnancy is WONDERFUL. The thought of being a mom is awesome. And I am embracing the changes in my body as well as possible. But I cannot stand not running, and racing, the way I used to.

I realize this is not permanent; that once I feel up to it I will begin to run again the way I like. And it's not like I have completely stopped running now. It's just that I feel so incredibly tired and slow right now. And left out.

I make myself feel better by saying that running will always be there, and that it's not going anywhere. But pregnancy, and motherhood, are opportunities for growth and for giving life a greater meaning, and these things have presented themselves NOW. I am really happy about that! And Derek also knows that once I recover from childbirth, if I am not able to run to relieve stress or get a moment to myself, he will be the one hearing about it. :) So I am sure he will be more than willing to watch the little one while I run laps around the block.

In other news...we find out the sex of the baby tomorrow! I am so excited and nervous. I just want to make sure that everything is ok and that he or she is healthy.

Anyway, happy Sunday!

Big News!!

2010-04-10T18:08:00.000-04:00

Derek and I are going to be parents!!!!!

YAY!

I know I've been MIA from the blogosphere lately...but there has just been so much going on, plus I have been so tired, PLUS I didn't exactly know how to post when I had this big secret inside that I just wanted to share!

The short story is...I suspected this in January, and sure enough, the home tests did confirm...it was really very amazing to see that on the "stick" - I have never been pregnant before, so I never got the "double line" (or, on the more high-tech tests, the "pregnant" readout). I have to admit, the first test I tried was from the dollar store, so I took that result with a grain of salt...but after two more, and then another three days later...I was like, OK! And of course the doctor confirmed it.

I've had a bunch of appointments so far, and am currently at 16 weeks and one day!! On April 26 we get to find out whether it's a boy or a girl...I can't say that I am definitely hoping for one or the other - all I care about is that he or she is healthy - but I am sorta thinking it's a girl. Just a hunch!

I am so excited to now hear from all you moms out there, especially running moms. Did your running take a hit like mine sorta has when you were expecting? I've been doing a lot of walking, some yoga, and have run some, but no longer than 4 miles (and that's only like once a week or so - usually I've been averaging 2-3 miles). After the horrendous nausea and fatigue of the first trimester, the second trimester feels like a dream. So much better! Plus, the weather is getting nicer, and I just got a new pair of running shoes... :)

In other news, I turned 30 yesterday. It was very exciting, and not at all depressing (like I have heard), being that I really have everything I can ask for: a wonderful family, a great husband, good friends, my health, and now, a little person who will turn out to be the most important thing to us!!

(Due date is September 24, by the way...)

So happy!

And the thermometer climbs...

2010-03-07T11:50:00.000-05:00

...into the 40s! YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Just had a great 4-mile run with my friend Claire. We ran around the neighborhood and loved every second of it, because the sun was SHINING (a rare thing to come by in Cleveland) and everything was melting. I swear, yesterday I acually SMELLED Spring coming. I wish I had a poem in mind that talks about the coming of Spring so I could quote it, but I'm drawing a blank. Oh well, no matter.

It's amazing how much a little sun and warmth can do for your mood.

By the way, question for you all...have any of you ever used a light therapy lamp? I was looking into maybe getting one for next winter. Last year in Wisconsin, and this year in Ohio, the cloudiness and lack of daylight in the winter is getting to be too much for me to bear! I was just wondering if any of you who are affected by the seasons like I am have tried this type of lamp. Thanks for the feedback!

Me: 1, Winter Blues: 0

2010-02-28T15:02:00.000-05:00

Hahahhaha! I made it out again today! Snow, you beautiful but annoyingly slushy and slippery beast, I have defeated you.

My run was not long, nor was it particularly special in any way, BUT: I completed it. I came out of my morning funk and decided to just get on with it and run. Because it's what I love!

I decided not to care if my feet got wet, or if I had to walk at certain times when the snow or ice was abundant.
I even decided not to care if I had to stop, or move to the side, when a car approached. Furthermore, I didn't care that I was practically running at a snail's pace. I was running!

And, during my last stretch, when I decided to take it a little faster, I knew I couldn't maintain it like I could in the fall. But it was nice to attempt a little speedwork.

I am happy.

Maybe March will mean...the end of my self-imposed hibernation?

Hopefully this crap melts away soon....I am itching to buy a new pair of running shoes and get out there consistently!

Happy Sunday, everyone.

And...it's STILL February!

2010-02-27T12:22:00.000-05:00

..But not for long!

I don't know about you, but March just sounds, and feels, so much better to me than (shudder) FEBRUARY. Ugh.

Highlights of the week:

it was actually really nice last weekend, so Claire and I went out for a 4-mile run in Rocky River! Yessss!
...followed by blecchy flurries, followed by another huge snowstorm! (or maybe two? I can't count, but we definitely got over a foot of snow in the last few days).
So, my parents had scheduled a visit to good ol' Cleveland Thursday (which, by the way, is supposedly the "most miserable U.S. city" according to Forbes), but their flight got canceled. :(
Derek left on a business trip to NY Wednesday...and got stuck there too! Wah! Now, my whole family is in NY and I am here in Cleve-o.
Um, as if that wasn't bad enough, our heat went off late Thursday night and I had to sleep in like five layers!
Drove to work and back in a blizzard. The Cleveland schools were all actually closed for once, so it woulda been a good time to be a teacher. Our office was open, so....oh well!

But, last night I went to dinner in the neighborhood with Rob and Claire, and then slept over there last night. Today, we went to "Skinny Bitch" class at Studio 11 (yikes! I feel so out of shape). Derek made it home today, and our heat is thankfully back on! Bring on the weekend!

And bring on March!

The 'rents rescheduled for the weekend of the 20th, so...I am crossing my fingers for good weather!

That's all for now.

Doing Fine!

2010-02-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

That's all!

Weird that when I don't have an event to train for, I find myself with less and less to write. Especially since I have been working more and working out less. Meh.

But I did get in a quality yoga workout yesterday, and ran 4 miles on the treadmill today. (Seems like the only option these days; we just got dumped with another 4-5 inches of snow this weekend....) I think the key to going to the "fake gym" is to just get up and go really early (i.e., whenever I wake up). This way, I get it out of the way. Somehow, I always find myself feeling more sluggish in the mid-afternoon and I'm more likely to skip out on a workout than if I just do it first thing in the morning.

So it felt great to run, even though it was all hot and...treadmilly. No icy cool breeze, no flush in the cheeks (well there was, but it was because I was hot instead of because of the wind!), no seeing your breath in the crisp winter air. Gee, it really sounds like I enjoy running outside even in the wintertime. I guess I do! I just don't want to risk slipping on ice and falling.

Superbowl plans are yet undefined...might go hang out with friends, might not. And I'm really ok with either one, because I don't even like football! Just doing it for the hubby. Ah, the things we do for love.

Takin' it Easy....

2010-01-24T19:35:00.002-05:00

Yeah, okay, I admit it. I am slacking. (With regard to both blogging and running.) But I'm tired! :)

This week was an okay one; nothing much to report. Work was crazy as usual. I used the crockpot pretty much every day to make our meals - thanks to this site (well, to be more specific, the book that was created out of the site, called Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Dea.

Here's a list of the delicious, fool-proof (no, seriously, fool-proof) recipes I have tried thus far using my slow cooker:

Basic chili
Vegetarian "No-Noodle" Lasagna (eggplant and yellow squash slices act as "noodles")
Chicken and dumpling soup
Pork stew with peppers and eggplant
Cranberry beef
Korean ribs (aaamaaaaaazzzzing!!)
Pineapple pork tenderloin
Pomegranate beef

Here are some pictures (I didn't capture all of them, but here's a sampling).

Vegetarian No-Noodle Lasagna

Cranberry Beef

Pineapple Pork Tenderloin

Pomegranate Beef

So, that's been making me really happy over the past few weeks.

Recipes on tap for this week include White bean and turkey sausage soup and Buffalo Chicken Lasagna. Nom nom!!

In other activity-related news, I've been doing a lot of yoga lately. It's suiting the winter blues just fine. And running is still happening, just on a lesser scale. The weird thing is that I think I still haven't recovered physically from the marathon in November, not necessarily only because I trained hard and it was a tough course. I realize that I have never truly taken a break from running, even when I knew it was best. So it's not just this past race that has me all tired, it's years of running without a set period of recovery. Hence, recurring injuries and overtraining blues.

I am also finding myself, for the first time in the winter, without a gym membership (well, if you count the "fake gym," I guess I do), and it's forcing me to come to terms with the limitations I naturally want - need? to put on my body this season. I have said this before, but I think that in the past I have never taken time off at all because I was always nervous that I would "lose it" and that I would never come back. Well, I know better now. But I'm still taking some time off from heavy training.

Hope you guys are having a great end to the weekend! :)

Back from Vacation....

2010-01-17T20:10:00.000-05:00

...and boy, did I need it!

Ok, I guess I always get the winter blues. I try not to, but it always creeps up on me!

So I was extremely excited when my husband was sent on a business trip to Orlando, Florida and I was able to tag along for a few days!!!

Plus, we still haven't taken an official honeymoon (yet), so we kept calling this our mini-moon. :)

Here's the summary:

Thursday - flew down, felt warm sun on my body for the first time in months! Hung around the hotel and just soaked it all in while Derek was at a meeting. At night, went to Trevi, an Italian restaurant inside the hotel.

Friday - ran at the hotel's fitness center in the morning (I would have definitely taken advantage of the warm weather and gone outside, but the path was around a golf course and I didn't want to get in anyone's way!), then went to Magic Kingdom!

Afterwards, took a drive a bit north and went to BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse for dinner. We also toasted our mini-moon with a mini bottle of champagne that Derek picked up for us!

Saturday - played tennis at the hotel with Derek, then had brunch at Trevi. After a shower, tried golf for the very first time! I sucked, but it was fun. Then we took a drive to downtown Orlando midday and ate our fair share of fish and seafood (um, and drank a whole lotta beer) at Cityfish. A nice, laid-back way to close out the weekend.

Sunday - ran on the treadmill again (man, I really dislike treadmill running now, which is ironic being that it's how I started running and how I almost always used to run), then packed up all our stuff and headed to the airport.

In the airport I listened (or, tried to listen because there was so much hustle and bustle around me) to Obama's speech at Vermont Avenue Baptist Church commemorating MLK Day and just commenting in general about all that's going on right now. He closed his speech by reiterating that, though we are experiencing a "dark winter," his faith keeps him calm. Interesting to think about. Even though religion doesn't play a huge role in my life, I do occasionally think about faith and how trusting in the good of humanity can do wonders for your state of mind. Although I'm mostly a cynic, I also hope for the best and try to stay optimistic about positive changes for the future. And with this in mind, I think of Haiti and keep those who have suffered in my prayers.

Here's hoping this week is a good one for all.

Winter Warriors of the Human and Auto Kind

2010-01-03T11:50:00.000-05:00

Today, my husband and I did something amazing. We both went out for a three-mile run in the snow!!!!

I say this is amazing because...a) we did it before 9 am. b) we BOTH had the motivation and desire to get dressed in our warmest clothes and go out. and c) neither one of us complained the entire time!

In fact, we were going to do only 2 miles, because it was really coming down and the trail hadn't been cleared. However, we went an extra half-mile or so in, making it 3 total.

I must admit that I have been really bad about exercising this week. REALLY bad! In fact, I kept thinking that I started the year off on a bad note by not running on January 1st. However, I have been thinking lately that I always push myself, and never really give myself a "vacation" from running. I've only ever been sidelined because of injury, not because I chose to take it easy for a month or two. Not only that, but I have always beaten myself up about it. I am trying not to do that anymore. At first, I used to get worried that if I strayed from running for a few days or a week, I'd "lose the urge." That's just not true. I may lose fitness -- and I am prepared to deal with that while I take January as an easier month -- but it's finally hit me that I will not lose the runner I've become, because it's too important to me now to ditch!

The other VERY EXCITING NEWS...we got a new car yesterday!! It was kind of unexpected. We didn't really think we were going to drive it out of the lot, either! But we did. Of course, we're really going to have to cut corners now, but it's worth it because first of all, having only one car, in a city where you NEED to drive everywhere sucks. Secondly, our Ford Focus, Sheila, is awesome and I love her, but only when the weather is nice. I get a little frightened driving a small car like that in midwestern winters. Derek and I have been saying that the next time we get a car, it'll be either an all-wheel drive vehicle, or at least a bigger car more equipped to handle snow and ice. So....here it is!

A 2010 Toyota Rav 4! As you can see, I am really excited.

And here I am getting nice and friendly with our new buddy.

2010 rocks so far.

The '00s in review

2009-12-29T21:11:00.182-05:00

Happy End of the '00s! I guess I'm joining the ranks of those of you who are "reviewing" either this past year, or the decade. Even though these last twelve months have brought about a number of changes, it's amazing to think what a different person I have become in the past ten years. Here goes!

2000:

Rang in the New Year (and new decade) in London, where I spent two weeks visiting my old friends from sleepaway camp.
Got mono that spring - ugh!
That summer was also the last summer I worked at Camp Monroe.
Became a Student Fellow at Vassar that fall and helped a group of incoming freshmen adjust.
Got my first car, a used red Toyota Corolla.

2001:

Got really involved in writing poetry with a year-long class at Vassar called Verse Writing.
Started working at a music school in Ossining, NY teaching piano and voice part-time.
Turned 21 -woohoo!- and spent my birthday at the Dutch Tavern in Poughkeepsie listening to one of my favorite Vassar bands, The Oddities.
Performed a lot with our college a cappella group, Matthew's Minstrels.
Worked that summer on a book project about BargeMusic, Ltd., a floating barge holding chamber music concerts under the Brooklyn Bridge.
Also started working for Young Communications part-time helping edit educational texts.

2002:

Visited the Outer Banks, NC.
Graduated college! Heard Tony Kushner speak at commencement.
On a whim, applied to the NYC Teaching Fellows program, and got in. Moved to NYC (Inwood). Started a crazy summer of student teaching, back-to-back classes, and basically a crash course on how to teach "at risk" youth having never majored in Education. Got the sh*t kicked out of me, mentally and emotionally.
Started teaching at an elementary school in the Bronx, where I again felt like every day was a struggle. Was I really cut out for this?
Got my first cell phone.
Moved to Park Slope, Brooklyn in November.
Sold the Toyota. :(

2003:

Finished my first year teaching! Can't believe I made it.
Attended some really great summer classes at City College, and met tons of great people.
Started back at work and felt rejuvenated. Met even more amazing coworkers who turned out to be great friends.

2004:

Visited Lake Placid and the Bahamas.
Almost took a different job at a charter school specializing in math and science.
Was asked to take over a gifted/performing arts program at my school and decided to stay.
Got my Masters Degree in June! Heard Bill Clinton speak at graduation.
Got my first ipod.
Spent some time on Long Beach Island, NJ that summer with my mom and stepdad.
Moved back to Manhattan (Washington Heights) with Kristin.
Had a great summer visit (as well as two following summers thereafter) visiting my cousin Steve and his girlfriend Amy in San Diego, CA.
Co-created a music/dance performance at school with my performing arts students. Also became musical director of 5th grade graduation.

2005:

Auditioned for an a cappella group in NYC. Got called back! And then...rejected!
Started my very own a cappella group in NYC. We rehearsed for a while....let's just say the friendships lasted longer than the group.
After struggling with indecision, finally ended a 4-year relationship in October.
I decided to finally do something about my inactive lifestyle and joined the gym in November.
Joined Weight Watchers in December and began to see my life completely change.

2006:

Started running...mostly on the treadmill...
..and doing yoga. Started frequenting my favorite yoga studio, Life in Motion.
Visited Atlanta, GA in February and the Dominican Republic in April.
Had a lot (a LOT) of bad dates, and some good ones, and some weird ones.
My roommate got plagued with bedbugs (recurring) that entire year!
Watched more Sex & The City than anyone I knew and ended up being able to quote the entire show.
Spent New Year's Eve on the subway with Kristin. We were coming home from Bella Luna, our favorite UWS Italian restaurant, and the clock just so happened to strike midnight as we rode the 1 train. It was pretty memorable!

2007:

(Re)-met Derek on January 20 at a party for mutual VC friends. We went out on a couple of dates and we both knew we were going to fall in love.
Ran my first 5k in March in Washington Heights. Derek was there with the camera!
Spent part of July in wonderful Walloon Lake, Michigan with Derek's family and also attended his cousin Kate's wedding that month. Was introduced to Wisconsin, its sports, its beer, and its cheese!
Ran my first half-marathon (NYC Half) in August. My stepbrother also became engaged that month.
Joined Team in Training in September.
Derek moved to Madison, WI for business school at UW that fall.
During an October visit, Derek proposed to me in my classroom in front of all my students!

2008:

Put in my notice that I was leaving work. :(
Ran my first marathon in Phoenix, AZ in January! Made sure to do my 9+1 (volunteering) for NYRR to secure a spot in the NYC Marathon 2009!
Moved that summer to Madison, WI. Bye bye, NY!!!!
Got a new (used) Ford Focus, my first car after six years of taking public transportation.
Spent the summer searching for a job and visiting Derek at his internship in Minneapolis, MN. Spent a lot of time with Kim attending concerts on the square and other fun Madison events.
Started working at a music school part-time, and then finally found a classroom position in Madison. Spent the year being in over my head! Everything was different and I barely had a minute to myself. Good thing the wedding plans were done!
Went to my Jack and Nicole's wedding in September.
Got married in October at Harvest-on-Hudson in Hastings, NY. Best day of my life!
Started my blog but hardly wrote in it.

2009:

Re-joined Weight Watchers in March.
Took a birthday trip to NYC in April, and attended Nick and Kristie's wedding in Folly Beach, South Carolina that same month.
Derek struggled with finding a job in the economy, but finally lands a position in Cleveland, OH. Bye bye, Madison!
Ran another half-marathon and a bunch of other races, but was REALLY waiting for...the NYC Marathon on November 1st!
Spent the summer training for the marathon and looking....looking....LOOKING for a job!
To pass the time while looking for a job, I started baking, cooking more, writing in this blog more often and writing reviews on Yelp!
Spent another lovely week in Walloon with family.
Finally found a job in my field in October and I am happy there. :) It's not a classroom position, but I am still very satisfied with what I am doing.
Cooked dinner with Derek for our entire family for Christmas! That was exciting and nervewracking.
Derek and I just celebrated our one-year anniversary and plan to ring in the new year at one of our favorite restaurants, Fahrenheit!

Whew...if you are still reading this, congratulations! :)

And Happy New Year!

Running Quote of the Day

2009-12-29T19:29:00.001-05:00

Great article by John "The Penguin" Bingham in January's Runner's World.

The article discusses how runners sometimes become as obsessed with running as they had been with some old addictions they conquered when discovering the sport (such as smoking, overeating, etc.). He says that throughout his running lifetime, he has often had to "start again" because he didn't listen to his body and pushed himself to injury. Here he talks about how he has adjusted his view of what it means to not give up:

The great lesson that I learned from running--because I wanted to run for the rest of my life--was that I had to accept the limits of my body. I had to adjust my goals to match the reality of my abilities. I had to understand that if I wanted to run forever, I might have to not run today. Taking a day, or a week, or a month off, if necessary, might be hard, but it wouldn't mean giving up.

For someone who has quit jobs, left relationships, and often quit when the going got tough, running has been the exception. I haven't quit. I'm not going to quit, even if I take a break. And in that I take enormous pride.

I think this speaks to me, and to a lot of us who are either easily injured, are too hard on ourselves for taking time off, or both.

Just something to ponder. As I always say when I am injured, "Do I want to run for this next month, or for the rest of my life?" We put a lot of pressure on ourselves as runners--some of which is necessary to keep moving--but much of which is just another excuse to punish ourselves for not doing enough. I know I do this, and it's counterproductive. Don't we already have so much to worry about? Let's remember that running is suppose to be a release from all that madness, not another cause for worry.

Thoughts?

A look back at the runner, not the run

2009-12-20T09:41:00.000-05:00

Hey all! This is one of those "all about me" running surveys I've seen every now and then. I saw one on a couple of running blogs lately, so I thought I'd share my own info! Feel free to cut and paste this into your blog afterward and share all your stuff too!

Miles this past week: 20

Describe your most recent run: It was on the Towpath Trail where I live (Cleveland, OH) and it was snowing the entire time! I felt like such a trooper because there were only a couple of other people walking around outside.

Your first Race: Coogan's Salsa, Blues, & Shamrock, New York, NY, March 2007

Your last Race:10th Annual Reindeer Run, Lakewood, OH, December 2009

When/Why did you start running: At first (Spring 2006), it was part of a fitness/weight-loss regimen I had been working on. Then, when I started racing (Winter 2007), it became less of a means to an end and more of an end in and of itself. You can read my original post on this topic here.

Favorite Race: ING NYC Marathon!!

Favorite Distance:  This is tough. I think that, because of all the Central Park 4-milers I've done, that distance is very familiar and dear to me. But most races outside of NY are not 4-milers. The 5k is a bit too intense for me. I'd say either 10k or half-marathon.

Mistake you always make while racing:  Not warming up enough.

Your mantra is: "Be a warrior."

Favorite food before a race or long run: Night before - pizza. Morning of - peanut butter and banana slices on an english muffin, toast, or bagel.

Favorite Gadget: Just my regular Timex sports watch. I have a Garmin, but it gets too "high maintenance" sometimes and takes forever to load the satellites.

Something *strange* you always need on a run? My locket with a picture of Dad.

Amount of races you’ve done in your life? 43

Amount of races you’ve done this year?  14

When I can’t run, I: whine! A lot!

Music or no Music? Both. I will never use music during a race or during a run with a friend. When I'm alone, I could go either way. But I love music, so...it helps!

Favorite running book? The Complete Book of Running for Women by Claire Kowalchik. I call it my running bible. It's got training tips as well as inspirational stories from women. It's awesome. I go back to it time and again when I feel I need motivation.

Favorite running Movie? Spirit of the Marathon. Although my husband wasn't as excited to watch it as I was :)

Favorite Runner? Kara Goucher and Brian Sell. I like how they seem like everyday, "normal" people.

Favorite brand of apparel?  Brooks and Under Armour

Favorite brand of shoes?  Asics 2130...discontinued! Have tried a bunch of other brands too. Think I might try the 2150s for my next pair - they just came out.

How many pairs of running shoes do you have? 3...one for everyday training, one lightweight racing shoe, and one trail shoe that needs to be replaced....NOW.

How many pairs do you actually use?  Just the first 2, and I'll use the trail shoe for walking around or when it's gross out.

Next Challenge ahead:  Getting through the winter while still maintaining some running fitness! Perhaps a spring marathon, but definitely a half-marathon.

A Goal further ahead you’d like to get to someday:  Break 5 hours for the marathon.

PR you’re most proud of:  Breaking 30 minutes for the 5k, which I did this summer. For the first time in 3 years I felt that I was getting a little bit faster!

Fuel of choice on long run or races: PowerBar Gel! That turns out to be the only gel I can tolerate after many trails (and errors). My favorites are rasperry & cream, strawberry banana, and (when I need a boost) double latte.

Last/current injury:  Ugh! My right foot. I think I overtrained for the NYC Marathon and something definitely went wrong there. It's doing much better now.

Most inspirational running moment: For my first marathon in Phoenix, I ran with Team in Training and raised money for cancer research. Around the halfway point, I saw a woman with a big sign in her hands that read, "Because of You I am Alive." I think of that moment every time I think I can't run another step.

Why do you run? My question is why DON'T people run? :) That's how ingrained it is within me now.

Anyway, I'm not gonna tag anybody because I don't want to force you to fill this out...But I'd love to know this stuff about you all! Anyway, have a great Sunday!

Alright, alright....

2009-12-17T21:55:00.003-05:00

I'll post something! But to tell you the truth, I haven't really had much to say. Either that, or I've been too busy with everything else to write it down!

The bullet points:

Work is crazy. I feel like I am constantly making mistakes. But I guess that's what learning is about. Oh well.

Running is GOOD. I ran Sunday, Tuesday, and today - all around 5 miles. I feel good about that especially since I have done mostly all my winter running outside so far!

I haven't felt as tired this week. I actually think that getting up early helps with this, if that makes any sense at all.

I'm going bowling tomorrow! I am excited for that.

Oh, and I think I have (almost) conquered my fear of the dentist. I went last week for a procedure on one side of my mouth (don't even ask) and have to go back tomorrow for the other side. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The worst part was the novocaine shot, actually (in the front up near the nose? OUCH!!!) But I am glad to get this done, because I think I'll be happier as a result.

Well, that's all from me right now. I look forward to reading all about your adventures now that I've gotten a couple minutes to do so. Take care!

Feelin' Sluggish

2009-12-13T15:44:00.000-05:00

And I don't know why...

Well, December is mostly why! I hate winter!! The last couple of days were pretty sunny, but today is rainy and gross. At least it's not snowing today, though it was a bit earlier in the week.

This week was not a great one in terms of being active, but I didn't really beat myself up about it. I had two good runs at the beginning of the week, and then I had a dental procedure done on Wednesday which left me unable to exercise that day. I also took Thursday and Friday off because work was insane and I was just mentally and physically exhausted (I know, not really an excuse). Saturday I went to hot yoga which was great, and today I'm either going to go back to yoga at 5 or go running (probably running). I just want to wake myself up, and I know nothing does that like a good run.

I have also been eating like crap. I need to sort of stop that, or at least strike a better balance between treats and healthy options. I usually do try to eat healthily but when the weather gets bad like this it is really hard.

Yesterday my husband and I got our new La-Z-Boy chair (see below) - it is so great! I highly recommend this chair (the Lancer). The only annoying part was that the store that we had ordered it from almost gave us the wrong one when we went back to pick it up, and we had to go to another location to get it! But that's ok, because we stumbled upon a great taproom/smokehouse for dinner and drinks, called The Brew Kettle. It was awesome, because I just happened to be in the mood for beer AND barbecue! What's not to love?

Hopefully this week will be a more active one for me.

Our new chair!!

2009-12-12T18:59:00.001-05:00

More info to follow in the next post!!

This run was brought to you by the number 5 and the letter S

2009-12-07T20:46:00.003-05:00

Don'tcha just love it when the run you are dreading turns out to be a great one?!?

This is what happened today. Man, I almost didn't do it. But then I realized (this is not the first time I've had this very same realization) that I'll feel worse about not doing it then actually doing it.

So. I tried something different today; it was great and I highly recommend you do it for your next musically-enhanced run! I went to the "Songs" list on the menu of my ipod, and picked a letter. I chose "S," because I had been looking for a song whose name I could remember but the artist of which had slipped my mind.*

Anyway, then I just started at a random "S" song, and then it went on, in alphabetical order, for my 5-mile run. The results? Totally awesome! I wasn't expecting half of them; I had never considered some of them running songs but they worked! Also, I was able to listen to good ones that I had almost forgotten were on there. So many of us, myself included, tend to listen to the same songs/albums/playlists over and over. So this was a nice dose of variety for a change. For all of you, this provides a sort of cross-section of my (varying) musical tastes.

Here's my list:

Somewhat Untitled - The Hysterics
Somewhere Along the Line - Billy Joel
Song #3 - Reel Big Fish
Song for the Dumped - Ben Folds Five
Song of Freedom - Sweet Honey in the Rock
The Song that Jane Likes - Dave Matthews Band
Songbird - Fleetwood Mac
Sons & Daughters - The Decemberists
Soon Forget - Pearl Jam
Sorry - Madonna
S.O.S. - Rihanna
Soul Surfing - Fatboy Slim
Sour Times - Portishead
Southern California Wants to be Western New York - Dar Williams
Souvenir - Billy Joel
Sowing the Seeds of Love - Tears for Fears

You guys definitely try this to shake up your run a bit. Any letter! It'll keep leaving you guessing what's next! Then you can share your lists on your blogs!

Oh, and one more reason this run was brought to you by the letter S...during this run, it started to...snow!

*The artist I had been trying to remember was Built to Spill, with "Strange."

Run, Run, Rudolph

2009-12-06T14:33:00.003-05:00

Hey guys! Here's the race report for the 10th Annual Reindeer Run 5k.

I went to Derek's company party on Friday night, and was a little annoyed that I couldn't really drink a lot because of this race. Oh well. I had one drink and then lots of water. It's probably a good thing I held back anyway, because I was really tired from the week.

Got up Saturday morning at 7, and for a minute there, considered bailing. It was just so warm in bed! But then I realized that I'm not only accountable to myself now, but to people reading this! (Thanks for motivating me by doing nothing other than reading this and checking up on me!)

I dragged myself out of bed, made a PB&J sandwich (pre-race meal o'choice), and skipped the coffee actually. I figured it might just make me have to go to the bathroom and that I'd consider it a treat for when I was done.

I didn't really know what to expect from this race. It was my first race post-marathon, and I didn't do any speed training leading up to it except for a little bit of a faster interval workout on Wednesday. I wanted to try my best, but also didn't want to risk further injuring my foot, which had just started to feel sorta normal. That being said, it's the last race of the year on the Hermes calendar, and I wanted to go out with a bang. Let's see how it went.

Left the house around 8 and got to Lakewood Park by 8:25. Got my stuff and thankfully it was warm inside the park's building, because it was FREEZING outside! 29 degrees! I wore my tights, a hat, and gloves and was still chilly getting there. I did a good, long warmup (according to Runner's World, you should do 15-30 minutes of warmup for a 5k because you start off pretty fast from the start). So I did about 20 minutes, then wanted to make sure I had enough time to drop off my heavy sweatshirt at the car and line up.

Felt nice at the beginning, not cold anymore and I could actually feel my fingers. A lot of people were dressed in goofy costumes, as I had predicted. Reindeer antlers, red and green outfits, etc. There were 800 runners there, too! Wow! Much bigger than any race at Lakewood Park I've done.

I wanted to go out pretty strong, but was tied up at the start and didn't cross the line for about a minute. No matter, because these race organizers had finally gotten the memo about the D-Tag chip timing (previous races in this park had just been start whenever, and rip off part of your bib at the end and give it to the guy in the chute). I had conveniently forgotten my watch today - D'oh! but I knew there'd be someone yelling out times at the mile markers.

I passed a bunch of people in the first mile, which I felt good about but also made me feel like I was going too fast. When I approached the first mile marker, I heard "9:56...9:58..." and when I crossed, "10 minutes." I was a little discouraged, as I thought I was going faster than a 10-minute mile, or at least my effort told me I might not be as ready to race as I had hoped. Then I thought about the delayed start and I felt ok.

I did my usual self-talk during a 5k....Mile 1: Hold back, Mile 2: Hold pace, Mile 3: Hold on. It worked to a certain degree, but it was really cold and I wasn't used to running fast in that just yet. At one point, I overheard an oft-told running joke:

Guy: Hey, How're you doing?
Girl: I can't seem to catch my breath.
Guy: Well, then you'd better keep running after it!

Ha, ha.

I got a little water but it had turned partially to ice - bleck! Forget that idea. The second mile marker was 19:20 according to the volunteer, which would be 9:20. That's more like it!

I always dread the last mile of a 5k. I feel like I'm crawling, yet I'm trying my best. I start seeing others who have finished, just chatting away. Arg, this is taking forever!

Plus, I was stuck directly in front of a woman with the louuuudest breathing EVER! And it was right on rhythm. I just kept hearing, "HUHHHHN [step step step} HUHHHN [step step step}" over and over. I had the feeling she was trying to catch up to me, or use me to pull her along because it was right over my left shoulder and I couldn't get rid of her. I used this to force myself to run a little bit faster just to get out of earshot. Finally the third mile marker came - 28:45 (same as last time!), or 9:25. Not bad considering I felt like crap. At the turn into Lakewood park I frickin' kicked it in like nobody's business and finally lost the loud breather! I felt like my kick was great yesterday. I ran in when the clock said 29:30 but I checked the actual results online today and it was actually 29:10! So, not a PR but 30 seconds faster than the last 5k I did.

I felt like I had gotten run over by a bus after that, though, and really had to cool down. I wasn't exactly thirsty or hungry, but I had a banana and a bottle of water for good measure. I just kept feeling the cold in my lungs. Plus, today I am actually sore! Haven't gotten sore after a race in a while...I guess it shows I wasn't that prepared this time and that the month of recovery actually did bring me a little bit out of the zone. It's ok though; I have never rested and recovered that well and now I feel fresh and happy about the upcoming months.

Then Derek and I did a little holiday shopping, as well as some furniture shopping for ourselves! We got a La-z-Boy - finally something else to sit on in the living room! This is the one we ordered:

The style is called the Lancer. It is so comfortable!!!! We're going to pick it up on Saturday.

Other than that, not much else to report. Having a great, relaxing weekend. By the way, does anybody else feel that it is much easier to get up early on weekends than on weekdays? What up with that!?

No Excuses

2009-12-02T22:36:00.000-05:00

That's what my Gatorade bottle says, and I've been staring it in the face all day.

Have had an annoying headache since yesterday. Blah, blah, blah. No excuses.

Had a long day at work, filled with "normal" as well as "unusual" stress factors. I worked an hour later than I was supposed to. Blah, blah, blah. No exuses.

It's raining tonight, which makes me want to just curl up on the couch with my fleece throw and watch TV. Blah, blah, blah. No excuses.

Because...I brought my workout clothes with me to work today! I brought a snack for after work just so I would have one less excuse not to work out. And Derek's still out of town, so I don't really have a reason to go right home after work. And I brought that annoying reality check of a Gatorade bottle.

No excuses, then! I worked out in my "fake gym" (I'll just call it that from now on) and felt amazing. I know people say this all the time, but once I got started, I really wasn't tired, even though I first got on the treadmill at around 9 pm. The only problem now (like last night's hot yoga session) was that now I'm bouncing off the walls a little bit. I know that'll calm down in about an hour, and I'll sleep well tonight...

I'm glad I forced myself to be active tonight.

Doin' it

2009-12-01T19:15:00.001-05:00

10th Annual Reindeer Run | Lakewood, Ohio 44107 | Saturday, December 05, 2009 @ 9:00 AM

Just registered!

Just so no one starts to worry

2009-12-01T10:13:00.002-05:00

Updates:
-Great Thanksgiving weekend
-Ate EVERYTHING. More than once.
-Was able to run every day from Thursday - Sunday.
-Starting to feel ready to end "recovery." Looking at a race this weekend (5k) -- we'll see how it goes...as today, Dec. 1, marks my one-month-after-the-marathon date and I am allowing myself to race again.
-Got offered more hours at work, putting me at pretty much full-time! It feels good to be working more.

On Tap:
-Starting my new part of my job today with more responsibility. A little nervous.
-Hot yoga with Claire tonight - LATE - 8:30-9:30 at Inner Bliss.
-Catching up on all my DVR from last week because Derek is out of town until Thursday.

Overall:
-Happy! Usually the winter months bring gross feelings, lethargy, overeating, and sadness my way. But I am trying to stay on top of my working out (and, to some extent, my eating habits although I kind of always need to eat more in the winter for whatever reason) and doing things to relax myself. I am also trying to just "roll with it;" the cold weather and the tired feelings will eventually pass. We need rest and recovery too, and winter is a good time to allow ourselves to rebuild in order to be active and strong for the spring. In fact, this article in December's Runner's World magazine gives some good ideas for how to maintain a certain level of fitness, while also giving ourselves a well-deserved break from hard training. (And it speaks well to one of your comments from my "No Running" post -- thanks, Jen!)

Have a great rest of the day!

No Running...

2009-11-24T21:06:00.000-05:00

..and it's all my fault! :)

After my "long" 6.5 miles on Sunday, I decided to take Monday off...was gonna go to yoga, but didn't. Then today I had all intentions of running about 4 miles...but then I just decided not to.

I kinda regret it.

But I kinda needed to be in vegetation mode. Plus I got to make a really delicious split pea soup that took a whole bunch of time to cook.

Tomorrow I am going into work early, which could still mean a run in the morning if I had a treadmill (which I don't) or if I didn't mind running in the dark (which I do)--sooo...no run for me until tomorrow afternoon/evening. I may have to go to that "gym" (basement fitness center of landlord's other building downtown). But all I really wanna do is cook stuff for Thursday and pack for Detroit (where we're going for TG).

In fact, all I EVER wanna do these days is cook and eat. And wear sweats. This is sounding too familiar! The all-too common winter hibernation mode, complete with a 10-pound weight gain. I don't want to do this again, but there's something about these months that makes me tired, lazy, and hungry!!!! Aaaaughhhh!

As I write this I am eating from a box of...

Well, I guess it could be worse.

Thankful for...the Weekend!

2009-11-22T13:08:00.000-05:00

Man, now that I'm working again, can I just say how much I love the weekends? Seriously.

Holiday spirit and thoughts of yummy food are in the air. I love this time of year. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I love all the cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes, and delicious meals we all enjoy around this time. And by the way, I still haven't given in and put on my winter coat...no way! :) But that reminds me that either this week or next I'll have to make a switch-er-oo and bring up my winter clothing from the basement. Booo! But at least I'll be like, "Oh, yeah! This shirt!" etc.

Yesterday I went to hot powerful flow with Claire and I sweated my face off! Seriously, wow, it was great. I like this class because it's very fast-paced. It's not traditional Bikram, but rather, just a challenging vinyasa class in a heated room. It was great for the (slight) hangover I had yesterday morning! Washed it right out! :)

Derek and I walked over to Loop in the afternoon, had a cup of coffee and hung out with Rob and Claire, who just happened to be there too! (Funny; I've never lived in a "small town" neighborhood like this where you could feasibly run into people you know all the time.) Then I spent most of the day cooking. Like I mentioned, we were invited to this party called "Drunken Thanksgiving" last night, hosted by our friends R and R. I was going to do these pureed sweet potatoes with caramelized onions and then beets on the side, but then I decided to look up recipes featuring both ingredients, and found this one:

Roasted Beets 'n' Sweets

Ingredients

6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

In a bowl, toss the beets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil mixture.
Bake beets 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

I did a few things differently. First of all, I had to double the recipe, because there were going to be a lot of people at R and R's, and I didn't know how much food they were going to have. Secondly, I have only ever roasted beets with the skin on, because it seals in the nutrients and keeps the color--plus, they're so much easier to peel when cooked; you just rub the skin and it pretty much falls off (wearing kitchen gloves of course!) I also used fresh chopped garlic instead of powder. Last of all, I needed to roast these veggies FAR longer than the recipe said. After the beets cooled, I peeled and sliced them and then mixed them with the sweet potatoes & onions at the very end. This is how it turned out:

To be honest, I was pretty disappointed with the results. I don't know why, but it just didn't seem seasoned enough despite the proper doubling of all the spices. I had to keep adding more kosher salt and pepper. Derek even suggested adding maple syrup at one point, but I didn't want to chance making it too sweet. The one thing I didn't double were the onions, because I am not a huge fan of things with overwhelming amount of onions--but maybe there was something to that, like they might caramelize and give off more flavor? I don't know. Plus the colors freaked me out. Maybe that's why the recipe said to roast everything together and to peel the beets beforehand? Oh well.

The other thing was that we got to R and R's kinda after everyone else, so the food was already out and people had mostly eaten, so it really got untouched. I know it wasn't because it was gross, but I felt bad. I guess the upside is that it was fairly healthy. But I will probably never make this again!

The rest of the party was really fun. R's home-brewed beer was a big hit--especially the wheat one! I also tried an Irish red. We ended up playing Rock Band for about three hours and it was awesome!

Today, Claire and I met up for a longer run...about 6.5 miles! Yay! I feel back in the groove. This was our route -- two bridges connecting Tremont to downtown. I wore my Nike arm warmers for the first time and I was EXTREMELY pleased.

They kept my arms warm but not too hot. I could have rolled them down but they were fine the entire time, and that's saying a lot because I usually get really hot.

Now I'm sitting down with a cup of coffee relaxing. Even though that darn ice pack is back on my foot, I would have never been able to do 6.5 miles a week ago! Yay! Tomorrow's off though. Maybe I'll get the chance to catch up on all my dumb reality shows on DVR.

Powered by Chocolate

2009-11-20T18:38:00.000-05:00

...Aren't we all a little bit more motivated when we pop a piece of chocolate into our mouths? Whether it's out of guilt (and we're working off what we already ate), or as an incentive (high mileage = free pass for lots of chocolate)? Ha ha. Well, today my usual pre-run meal variation just wasn't cutting it. I needed a little extra boost...so I reached into the freezer for two mini Snickers bites! YUM!

I actually waited quite a long while to run today, although I was up early. I had to bring the car back yet again (last time for awhile, I promise!) and was waiting on S to give me a call back about it. I was getting antsy waiting...not only because I wanted to run, but because I had other errands to do with the car, and also because I didn't want another bomb dropped on me about $$$ like last time!

Turns out all was fine (just needed an alignment this time) and - WOW, there is a difference in the way the car feels. I guess it was worth it. Well, it was definitely worth it in terms of safety, but in terms of how the car is driving...it's much better too!

Went for a 4.5"ish" mile run. Didn't bring my watch today, so aside from the somewhat inaccurate mile markers on the towpath trail, I didn't have a strong concept of how much time I spent - probably close to an hour including cooldown and stretching - plus I took a detour off the main path and I'm not sure how long that part is because there are no markers there.

A couple things about running in parks with mile markers: ONE: It's nice for speedwork and you want to time your splits and you don't have a Garmin (or you just don't feel like waiting for the ^@*&!%* thing to load!). TWO: they are great for long runs, when you don't want to have to look at your watch but just wanna know when you've finished your distance wtihout worrying about time. BUT, THREE: like I said, the measurement is slightly off, especially because I've heard that most paths, race courses, etc. are measured on all the tangents and would measure the shortest distance from point A to B on the path, not taking into consideration all the curves and stuff that, were you sticking to your correct side of the path, you'd have to run through. So in a way, the timing is slightly slower/you are running slightly longer if the course is really twisty and curvy (like this one is).

Whatever, it was still a good run. I have come to the conclusion that sometimes, today included, I really like running without a watch. It's like, the only thing I have to be accountable to is finishing the run, not worrying about my time. Save the time obsessing for speedwork and races -- two things I am forcing myself to take time off from until December. Still practicing the every-other-day rule until I feel no more pain, I am not running tomorrow but going to hot yoga (finally!) with Claire at Inner Bliss in Rocky River.

This evening, I made the pretty bad mistake of doing some grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. I just hate it there so much, I can't describe it, but it is cheap and close by so I sucked it up and bought just a few things I needed (mostly things with the brand "Great Value"). Plus, I felt right at home in my flip-flops, baggy sweatshirt, unwashed hair, and sweatpants. Nice to feel that you don't have to impress anyone at Wal-Mart. (By the way, if any of you really like Wal-Mart I am sorry and I don't mean to offend anyone.) I was behind the slowwwestttt family in history - isn't that always the case? and even though we were in the "20 items or less" line, it took forever and I was certain my ice cream was going to melt before getting home! Oh well, I had to go. It was time to re-stock up on some staples, like light mayo, butter, sugar, as well as some skim milk and yogurt (Weight Watchers has a large vanilla yogurt now! Yay!).

I also got some sweet potatoes and a bunch of onions and thyme because I am going to try a recipe my friend sent me for this pre-Thanksgiving pot luck dinner we're going to tomorrow night. Actually, come to think of it, I don't even know if it's a pot luck; it was just called "Drunken Thanksgiving" and the hosts are providing their home-brewed beer and they're inviting a whole lot of people, so I want/need to bring at least one thing anyway. In addition to the sweet potato dish I am thinking of roasting this bunch of beets I've been saving for a little while. Does anyone have a good suggestion or recipe for a dish featuring roasted beets? I was just probably going to let them come to room temperature after roasting and then slicing them and tossing them with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt and fresh pepper. Unless anyone else has another idea! :)

Another thing I'm looking forward to tonight...relaxing with a big glass of Sangria!!

Stuff

2009-11-19T00:38:00.000-05:00

Today was a pretty good day. Woke up really early and felt like I got a good hold of the day (sometimes, because I go work afternoon to evening, I sleep way later than I like). Enjoyed my coffee and went for a run along the Towpath Trail - 4.2 miles. I felt no pain in the foot at first, but then it gradually came back - of course. Nothing too bad, though. Also, for the first time since the marathon I felt the desire today to go fast. I didn't really, because I "know better," but I am feeling myself getting stronger.

The run was also a pretty emotional one. For some reason, I kept thinking of my dad (for those of you who don't know, he passed away 12 years ago). Also, my husband and his sisters lost their mom 9 years ago this past Sunday, and I was very grateful to be able to spend time with all of them to honor her on that day. So I guess I dedicated this morning's run to both of them.

At one point, I was just getting so into it, and was sweating so hard that I felt drops of it falling off my face (I usually don't sweat that intensely other than in races). Then I realized that it wasn't only my sweat...and that it had started to drizzle. Ha ha. :)

Because I have been getting sorta tired of coming home at 8:30 from work and then deciding what to throw together for dinner (and to add insult to injury, Derek has also had to work late these past few weeks so he couldn't take care of cooking), I prepared a simple but delicious meal for tonight: Stuffed peppers. I got everything ready this afternoon, including cooking the rice and hollowing out/steaming the peppers, and stuffing them. Then I just put them in the fridge and popped them in the oven when I got home. I used the following recipe, substituting ground chicken for ground beef (and changing around some of the spices, adding tomatoes and garlic powder..well I guess the recipe was just a suggestion!).

Now I am very tired.

But I have this last thing to say: I love The Biggest Loser and all, but Bob's annoying "let's eat something new and cool - or just chew gum" complete with over-the-top product placement really irks me! It is so cheesy. The new "green" Ziploc bags are made with 50% wind power....WTF?! Also: still can't believe Shay got kicked off last week. And why did Jillian get all bent out of shape about Rudy not revealing something private about his past? It's not like everyone is comfortable sharing everything.

Anyway! This post has reached a new level of tangents and rambling. Time for bed!

High Five

2009-11-14T15:36:00.000-05:00

This has been a great weekend so far, and it's not even halfway over!

Yesterday, I was a huge nerd. After picking up my car from the mechanic, I went over to the Old Angle Tavern to...wait for it...meet a bunch of people I didn't know. That's right, there was a Yelp Cleveland meet-up last night. For those of you who don't know about Yelp, it's a website where people review local businesses and share information. There's also a discussion forum where people write about funny topics. Anyway, I joined in September to give me something else to do (other than blogging of course) while job-searching...and the people are really nice. One of the girls sent out a message this week suggesting we all get together for a drink on Friday night - and we did!

It kinda felt like a group blind date at first, especially when I was the first one there and didn't really know which group, if any, was the one I should be looking for. Turns out that I was sitting one seat away from another yelper at the bar (she didn't have a picture up on the site, so I didn't recognize her) and only realized it when A., another yelper, came in!

It was really fun, and, for the first time, I felt like I was taking some sort of initiative with my social life. Being married is so great, but it's difficult to meet new people without going a bit out of your way. I have met a couple of cool new people at work since I started 2 weeks ago, but this was another way to feel like I was making new friends.

I got home at about 8:30, and my two sisters-in-law, Becca and Alida, arrived shortly thereafter to spend a weekend with us in ol' Cleve-o! We had fun last night walking around the Tremont Art Walk, popped into Loop, the new coffee shop/record store on our corner, and got some pizza from Edison's. The girls seemed to really like the neighborhood.

Watched some late-night entertainment shows like The Soup and Chelsea Lately - hilarious! and then went to bed.

This morning I went out for a great 5-mile run. The weather was unseasonably warm - and I guess I was a little overdressed in pants and a long-sleeve shirt - but it still felt great. The sun felt so nice on my face and, additionally, it just felt great to be out there. My goal was to do either 5 miles or an hour-long run, whichever came first. Turns out I did 5 in about 57 minutes, but then jogged as a cooldown until my watch said 1 hour, then did the routine stretching and whatnot. The foot felt pretty good, and at one point I didn't feel any pain at all. I was a bit tired during this run, but was still really glad to do it and felt great afterward.

While Becca was at her physical therapy conference at the Cleveland Clinic, Derek and I took Alida to the West Side Market - she was so impressed! We got a bunch of stuff for sandwiches and are currently just having a lazy afternoon at home.

More tomorrow!

Just a quick question...

2009-11-13T12:22:00.000-05:00

Has anyone out there ever brought your car in for a "minor" thing (like an oil change, or scheduled tune-up or whatever) and NOT left spending tons more money than expected on a problem found in the process!??!?

I brought the ol' Focus in this morning to get two new tires. S, my maintenance go-to guy in the neighborhood, told me that I would need to get the rear tires replaced, and the front ones rotated to the back, before winter hits. I totally agreed with this, as a) this is a used car, and since buying it last summer I haven't done much of anything with it in terms of checking out the tire situation, and b) last winter was TERRIFYING in Wisconsin and every time it snowed I was sure I would slide right off the road. Silly me, didn't realize it was a tire "issue," I just figured it was because the car is sorta dinky and small and doesn't have all-wheel drive. So when S suggested this I was all for it.

Tried to plan out when best to do this, to work around my work schedule and also being able to shell out about $200 for the tires and labor. Decided today was a good day and made an appointment. Brought her in at 9 am, and S said she'd probably be ready by 11.

I got a call a couple minutes later saying that he didn't have the tire I needed, and would have to bring the car out to a warehouse and it would be ready closer to 1 or 2. Ok, I guess I can wait to do the grocery shopping (my sisters-in-law are coming to stay with us this weekend and I wanted to stock up!!!) until mid-afternoon. And I guess I can skip the yoga class I was planning on attending. I can deal without it :(

UM, yikes when I got yet another call an hour later: apparently while S was driving the Focus out to the warehouse he was troubled by a little noise. This noise was not really that noticeable to me and Derek, or we thought that, again, it was because it was a 7-year-old car and was bound to make a noise or two while driving fast. But apparently I was wrong because S told me it was imperative that I get the hub bearings changed pretty much immediately on both sides. YIKES! How much? $400!!!! Oh crap. (By the way, I had no idea what the hub bearings are or what they do, and did some research. Here's a video explaining it pretty well.)

Unfortunately, S's place doesn't take credit cards unless you want to be charged the extra fee, but thankfully I can pay by check. (By the way, despite this minor inconvenience about the credit cards, I go to S for stuff because he's right in the neighborhood, so I can walk; it's a mom-and-pop operation, which I like to support; and he develops a good relationship with his customers and is very honest about what needs to be done. For instance, this summer my "check engine" light came on and brought it to him. His code machine-thingy said it was probably a vacuum leak, but upon further inspection he discovered he only had to change the gas cap, which was thankfully only about 20 bucks.)

Yup, so there's $600 I could have spent on any number of things I wanted to spend money on...oh let's see: a honeymoon (still haven't done that yet); getting some new clothes (haven't gone clothes shopping in over a year); maybe going out to eat or to the movies or getting my nails done or ANYTHING else we have been trying not to do because we are so short on cash right now!!!! This sucks. We've been eating macaroni and cheese and rice and beans for dinner and even stocked up on Ramen (I realize this sounds funny, and it sort of is). I am only working part-time (even though I tried for months to find a full-time teaching job), and despite Derek's 13-hour days he isn't making a ton either. Not enough for his grad school bills, our huge gas bill that I just paid today too ($120! What!??), plus various medical and dental charges (although thank heavens we have insurance!!!!!!)

But I realize that as aggravated as I am, there was really no way around this situation. I mean, I really don't want to be driving on the highway and all of a sudden have one less wheel! My stepdad helped me through it by saying it just needed to be done, it was nobody's fault, and it's better to keep our safety in mind than worry about spending more $$.

I guess this post was not "just a quick question" after all. Sorry to be complainy and whiny. But I hate always having that feeling of not being comfortable with the amount of money we have versus what we have to pay. And we live in Cleveland! Imagine if we were still in NYC. I just don't like feeling worried that we won't be able to buy a house, or afford to have kids soon....I am really feeling overwhelmed.

Invincible (and other great running songs)

2009-11-12T12:39:00.000-05:00

I had a very enjoyable, almost pain-free 4-miler this morning!!!

The pain stayed somewhere around a level 2 out of 10. I even (tentatively) jogged up the hills. Am still icing the foot as we speak, and keeping to the every-other-day plan, until I feel no pain at all.

But how great did that feel...and the weather was again, perfect. We are getting lucky in old Cleveland town...as this video jokes, "We see the sun almost three times a year!"

At one point, I thought to myself that I felt invincible. A silly thought, yes, but it's the little things that make you feel like you're back in the groove. I wouldn't consider myself fully there yet, but today's run helped a lot.

Towards the end, I flipped through my "Ultimate Running Songs" mix on my ipod to end on a strong note...and thought about my top running songs--those favorites that I come back to again and again when I need a mental boost. I decided to post them here. Enjoy!

My Favorite Running Songs (in no particular order)

Move Along - All American Rejects
Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
Let's Get It Started - Black Eyed Peas (actually, I listen to the "other" version...sorry mom :)
Breathe - Michelle Branch
Lose My Breath, Independent Woman Part 1, Survivor - Destiny's Child
Separate Ways, Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Burning Heart, Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna
No Easy Way Out - Robert Tepper
Born to Be My Baby, Livin' on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi
One Step at a Time and Tattoo - Jordin Sparks
Just Dance, Poker Face - Lady Gaga
The Climb - Miley Cyrus
Who Knew - Pink
Let it Rock - Kevin Rudolf
Call Me When You're Sober - Evanescence
I Don't Want to Be - Gavin Degraw
This is How a Heart Breaks - Rob Thomas
B.O.B. - Outkast
Miss Murder - AFI
Maneater - Nelly Furtado
Little House - The Fray
Beat It, Thriller, Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson
I Don't Wanna Be In Love - Good Charlotte
Whine Up, Run the Show - Kat DeLuna

D'oh-ga

2009-11-11T10:44:00.000-05:00

Well, yes, I had the best of intentions to get up on the early side this morning and go to a 9am hot yoga class at Inner Bliss... let's just say that sleep got the better of me and I didn't get out of bed until 9! Oh geez.

It is such a beautiful day today: crisp air, bright blue skies, crunchy leaves everywhere. It is killing me not to go running today!!! But I have to focus on the big picture. I am waiting until tomorrow to prevent anything weird from happening to the foot again. Patience! (Did I mention I am pretty much the most impatient person I know?!?!)

Maybe I'll take a nice long walk before work.

One Step at a Time

2009-11-10T12:32:00.000-05:00

...Why is it that I like that song so much??? :)

Well, that's what today is feeling like. After three days of no running, plus RICE of course, I tried my luck out there today. I am pleased to report that I actually ran 2 miles and had minimal pain!!!! Wore my new Under Armour Cold Block compression tights (thanks for the gift, Mom!) I think it wasn't cold enough for those, but wanted to "break them in" anyway. And they were comfy!

The last time I attempted to run, I was aiming for about a 4 mile run, and was forced to stop and walk about halfway through because I was in so much pain. I felt so defeated.

However, today was different. I had 4 miles in mind again, but I did a couple of things differently. First of all, I stayed away from sidewalks, and pretty much concrete/uneven surfaces in general. I opted for the Towpath. Secondly, I did a walking warm-up (something I must say I don't do as often as I should). Thirdly, I walked all of the steep hills. Finally, I decided that I was going to be "ahead" of any pain by gaguing how I felt throughout and stop early if I was worried it might become worse. (Kind of like the mindset of when coaches say to keep easy days easy, even if you feel like you could do more, and "save it" for the next workout, where you'll really be able to do a great job - I didn't want to blow it on my first time out.)

When I started, I had sort of a dull ache in the arch, but it still felt so good to run. I was glad the rest of my body didn't feel fatigued at all. The pain was about a 3 on a scale from 1-10. Throughout, it fluctuated from about a 2 to a 4. When I felt the 4, I decided that I was going to turn around and come back after 1 mile instead of going out to 2 miles. I felt that it wasn't worth it to have to stop again because I was hurting, especially after the progress I made resting/icing, etc.

That left me with a strong finish at the end of 2 miles, and then maybe another quarter mile of a slow jog/walk cool down. The great news is that it doesn't hurt more now than before I started! The even better news is that I got to run again, which I'm coming to realize my brain and head needs just as much as my body does.

Tomorrow I will do yoga (preferably hot), and then try for 3-4 miles again on Thursday.

So happy about this!

How it all began

2009-11-09T08:33:00.003-05:00

I've been doing a lot of blog reading lately (specifically, blogs about running and/or about people who are using running as a way to maintain/lose weight). I have been noticing on many of these blogs that their creators have something along the lines of an "extended bio" in which they explain their reason for what they do. Whether it's the reason they started running, or the reason they started writing about running, it's still interesting to read all these people's stories.

So I'll do the same, to the best of my ability. But I am gonna cheat just a smidge, and cut and paste from an email exchange with a friend of mine, E. But of course, I'll add more as I go along...here we go.

I'm going to need the story about the running. How did you start and how did you keep going?

Oh my god. I don't know.

I had just ended a relationship, I was overweight [180 pounds at 5'3"], working a really difficult and mentally taxing job, smoking more often than just socially, and...ugh. Just unhappy. It was the fall of 2005.

I decided to join the gym first, and, then a month later, Weight Watchers. I stuck with both and saw a lot of success. Mostly at the gym I was doing the elliptical or the stair master, but occasionally going on the treadmill for a walk/attempt at running/heaving and walking again. In the late winter/early spring of 2006, I was doing the treadmill more often, mostly because I was getting bored with the elliptical, but also because I had always had a curiosity about running and never thought I could actually do it. At first I would be like "who am I kidding?" and would have to stop after less than 5 minutes. After a little bit of time (maybe a month?) I was able to run for about 10 minutes without stopping. I was flabbergasted because I had NEVER done that before...well, maybe in high school for that fitness test, but even then you could take walking breaks as long as you completed a mile in a certain amount of time.

It became sort of a way to prove to myself that I could do it. My next hurdle was a full mile. Then two. And so on. I think that what a lot of people think is that in order to run you have to run fast the entire time. That kind of thinking is what made me fail at first. When I slowed down to a comfortable pace, it was then I realized I could run longer without hyperventilating or cursing myself for getting too tired. And every day did get easier. And, weirdly enough, you kind of become addicted to it.

I continued this into the summer of 2006, when I discovered I could run 3 or 4 miles - it was a total breakthrough and I was so proud of myself. I was like, "who am I?" A year earlier, I told my roommate, cigarette in hand, that I'd rather jump out the window than go on a run. Now I was running for 40 minutes. Unbelievable.

Fast forward a bit to early 2007. Had started dating Derek [now my husband] and did my first 5k race in March. I decided that sort of made me an actual runner, being that I spent money on the race, put on the outfit, showed up at the start, and finished the whole thing, even though I had to take one walking break. I had no idea what racing meant at that point, but was so proud of myself and felt such a sense of accomplishment. I finished the race in 35:13.

It only made sense to focus on moving forward with this new healthy discovery and to rid myself of lifestyle choices that did not support my best interest health-wise. I had started eating healthily and exercising, but there was one demon left. I quit smoking cold turkey March 22, 2007!

Then, after doing more races in Central Park that spring and early summer, I decided I liked racing because the excitement of the crowds gives you a surge of energy and adrenaline and makes you feel part of something cool. On a whim, I entered the lottery with my friend Heather (lifelong runner) for entry into the NYC Half-Marathon that August. She didn't get in, but I did. I was acually on my way back from the AHA Start Wall Street Run when she called me and told me the news as she read it off the computer. I was like, "Oh crap, well, here we go...!"

Training in the summer was hardcore, but after that race, I knew there was no turning back (damn that sounds cheesy & awful, but it's true). I finished my first half-marathon in 2 hours and 35 minutes. It was brutal and hot, but representing the city like that felt amazing. That fall I joined Team in Training, a health organization associated with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society whose volunteers run distance events while raising money for cancer research. I ran my first marathon on January 13, 2008 in Phoenix, AZ in just under six hours.

Again, who in the world have I become?

Now I'm training for the NYC marathon! I can't wait.

So the moral of the story is...even if you think you can't run...you can. Anyone can. So give it a try!!!!!! And be crazy like me!

Follow-up note: I have always called myself a "slow" runner. Because I am, at least in comparison to so many bloggers out there! It sorta makes me feel bad sometimes, but not when I consider my own progress. This is what I have to remember. Since that first 5k, I have lowered my time to 28:43. My best half is now 2:17:12. And, after training hard for the NYC Marathon and actually trying some strategy in running it, I lowered my marathon time by almost a full hour.

I have a bunch of high hopes and expectations for myself. I would like to get faster at every distance. But right now the most important thing is that I just keep running. It keeps me grounded. It will always be there through the times when I need to think through something, or when I just don't want to think at all. It allows me to experience the seasons in a visceral way, through my lungs, heart, breath, and skin. And--we've all felt this one--sometimes the best runs are ones you didn't really want to take in the first place. You make yourself get out there, time and time again, and you surprise yourself at who you've become in the process. And we find serenity, inner beauty, and mental toughness.

Don't you non-runners want to start now? :)

RICE = Really Irritating Cessation of Exercise

2009-11-08T13:49:00.004-05:00

Ha ha. Oh, RICE, the acronym that every runner loves to hate. Did 35 minutes on the bike and 10 on the elliptical, using mostly my arms on the latter to avoid undue stress to the foot. On my way back from the "gym" (I say that in quotes because it's not really a gym, but rather, a basement of another building with a few machines and weights that my landlord lets me use for free), I was trying to come up with funny alternative acronyms for RICE.

Really
Irritating
Cessation of
Exercise

Radical
Immobility
Creating
Emotions

Reading!
I've
Completely forgotten you
Exist!

and so on. Post your funny ones here if you wish!

Also, I need to share this redonkulously cute picture of my parents' dog with my cousin's dog. Cody looks like an actual MUPPET!

Putting my Foot in my Mouth

2009-11-08T00:16:00.001-05:00

Riiight....so just as soon as I say I'm ready for another marathon? My first post-marathon run ends after about 2.5 miles because MY FOOT HURTS! How aggravating. Guess I spoke too soon.

I am sort of "plagued" throughout major training sessions with a bunch of different minor injuries. Since I started running, I've had ITB syndrome, hip/piriformisissues, lower back injuries, a mean case of plantar fasciitis, shin splints, calf "hot spots"....and now some ridiculous arch pain in my right foot that I can't exactly pinpoint. It's not heel pain, and it's not exactly underfoot, either. it's more like both sides, right alongside the arch, are bruised.

In all of these cases (except for the plantar fasciitis, which lasted a full year) I just eased back on running and the pain eventually subsided. But I had to really struggle with it, because most of these nagging aches and pains were during the hard part of training. Now I guess I shouldn't really worry, because the marathon is said and done. But the last thing I want to do now that I've completed it is just stop! Not only am I reluctant to lose fitness (and the specificity of training that running provides - elliptical doesn't cut it!), but now I am also in fear of gaining weight. Dammit!

This pain started when I was really increasing my mileage to allow for 20-mile runs. The taper helped a lot, as did icing, advil, and kinesio taping on the bottom of the foot...but it's back with a vengeance. Well, I shouldn't be surprised. It's not like the streets of NY are well-paved. :)

So I am succumbing to a little less intensity right now. Did yoga twice this week (Wednesday and today, Saturday) and the failed attempt at running 3-4 miles was on Friday. I know that I should just be patient, that the main goal is to not be injured long-term and that this is a sign that I need to back off a bit. But I am experiencing (as Bob Glover puts it) a marathon "post-partum" type of depression where all I want to do is run and not being able to do it is killing me psychologically. I was very pleased at how my other muscle aches, mostly in my quads, subsided after only a few days but am p.o.ed at the fact that I am still hobbling around because of this darn foot.

Deep breaths! It will be ok. :) Running will always be there for me! Guess I have to face the facts and focus on cross-training this week.

Pay no attention...

2009-11-07T16:00:00.002-05:00

...to the lists below!

I just wanted a place to archive my races since I started, and the only way to make a link (or so I'm aware of) is to create a new post. Whatever!

More to come - including how I'm dealing with my ANNOYING foot pain which is preventing me from running! :(

2009 Races

2009-11-06T23:59:00.004-05:00

2009 Races:

January 1: New Year's Day Dash (5M)
Middleton, WI
54:53 / 10:58 pace

February 14: Movin' Shoes Frosty 5k
31:23 / 10:06 pace

March 15: Shamrock Shuffle (5k)
Madison, WI
38:59 / 12:32 pace

April 25: Crazylegs Classic (8k)*
Madison, WI
51:03 / 10:16 pace

May 2: Lake Monona 20k (12.4M)*
Madison, WI
2:30:46 / 12:07 pace

May 24: Madison Half-Marathon (13.1M)
Madison, WI
2:31:22 / 11:32 pace

June 28: A Most Excellent Race (5k)
Shaker Heights, OH
30:37 / 9:51 pace

July 25: Winking Lizard's A Shot in the Dark (4M)
Cleveland, OH
41:08 / 10:17 pace

August 15: Patrick Joyce Scholarship Run (5k)*
Lakewood, OH
28:43 / 9:14 pace

September 13: Cleveland Clinic River Run Half Marathon (13.1M)*
Rocky River, OH
2:17:12 / 10:27 pace

October 11: Towpath Half-Marathon (13.1M)
Peninsula, OH
2:20:30 / 10:43 pace

October 18: JWCL Great Pumpkin Fun Run (5k)
Lakewood, OH
29:36 / 9:31 pace

November 1: ING New York City Marathon (26.2M)*
New York, NY
5:08:13 / 11:46 pace

December 5: 10th Annual Reindeer Run (5k)
Lakewood, OH
29:10 / 9:25 pace

*Indicates PR

2008 Races

2009-11-06T19:20:00.002-05:00

2008 Races:

January 13: PF Chang's Rock 'N' Roll Arizona Marathon (26.2M)
Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe, AZ
5:57:45 / 13:38 pace

February 3: NYRR Gridiron Classic (4M)
New York, NY
40:56 / 10:14 pace

March 2: Coogan's Salsa, Blues, & Shamrock (5k)
New York, NY
31:54 / 10:17 pace

March 9: Colon Cancer Challenge (4M)
New York, NY
40:40 / 10:10 pace

March 15: Central Park Challenge (8k)
New York, NY
51:57 / 10:27 pace

March 30: Scotland Run (10k)
New York, NY
1:05:28 / 10:33 pace

April 13: Run as One, TGL Classic (4M)*
New York, NY
38:37 / 9:39 pace

May 3: NYRR Brooklyn Half-Marathon (13.1M)
Brooklyn, NY
2:32:05 / 11:36 pace

May 11: NYJL Mother's Day (4M)
New York, NY
41:01 / 10:15 pace

May 17: Healthy Kidney 10k
New York, NY
1:05:16 / 10:31 pace

July 13: Diva Dash 5k
Middleton, WI
32:30 / 10:27 pace

September 21: Henry Vilas Zoo Run Run (10k)
Madison, WI
1:06:47 / 10:44 pace

September 27: Free to Breathe Lung Cancer 5k
Madison, WI
30:13 / 9:43 pace

October 18: RASCW Home Run (10k)*
Fitchburg, WI
1:04:25 / 10:22 pace

October 19: UW Homecoming Run (5k)
Madison, WI
35:38 / 11:28 pace

October 25: MARS Series Fall 15K (9.3M)
Madison, WI
1:40:07 / 10:45 pace

November 1: MATC Turkey Trot (5M/Trails)
Madison, WI
57:12 / 11:27 pace

November 25: Berbee Derby (5k)
Fitchburg, WI
30:51 / 9:56 pace

* indicates PR

2007 Races

2009-11-06T18:29:00.001-05:00

2007 Races:

March 4: Coogan's Salsa, Blues & Shamrock (5k)
New York, NY
35:13 / 11:21 pace

April 22: Adidas Run for the Parks (4M)
New York, NY
45:42 / 11:25 pace

May 13: NYJL Mother's Day Run (4M)
New York, NY
41:29 / 10:22 pace

May 22: AHA Start! Wall Street Run (5k)
New York, NY
32:29 / 10:49 pace

June 23: Front Runners NY Lesbian & Gay Pride Run (5M)
New York, NY
54:35 / 10:55 pace

July 14: Naples - New York Park-to-Park (10k)
New York, NY
1:11:15 / 11:29 pace

July 21: Run For Central Park (4M)
New York, NY
43:10 / 10:47 pace

August 5: NYC Half-Marathon presented by Nike (13.1M)
New York, NY
2:35:58 / 11:54 pace

October 28: Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff (5M)
New York, NY
51:23 / 10:16 pace

December 15: NYRR Holiday 4-Mile (4M)
New York, NY
41:47 / 10:26 pace

December 31: Emerald Nuts Midnight Run (4M)
New York, NY
Fun Run / Unscored

NYC Marathon Recap: Post-Race

2009-11-04T08:46:00.001-05:00

After crossing the finish line, I was thrilled to receive my 40th anniversary medal, mylar heat sheet, and goody bag. What I was not happy to do was..just STOP. Yep, with all the crowds backing up, we pretty much bottlenecked as soon as we stopped running. There were announcements being made, "emergency vehicles" transporting injured runners, golf carts driving through, and we had to further squish to make way for them. We were directed to the left in order to immediately get our UPS checked baggage back. Good idea, but this left us no choice but to stand there in agony as our muscles cramped up and we couldn't walk it off. It was also very difficult to eat or drink, because we were so packed in and we had to hold our (very heavy!) goody bags.

It pretty much felt like a bad dream, but I was still exhilarated from the race that I held it together and tried not to let panic get the best of me. Now I understood what they meant when they said it would take approximately 30 minutes for runners to meet their waiting friends and family. I quickly called mom, who was so surprised to hear from me! and Derek, whose phone had died (of course) but who had already met up with my folks. Also spoke to Heather, who was heading to the meeting place.

When I finally got through the crowd, we had to walk up to 77th and exit the park, then walk south a bit to meet up with people. I said goodbye to Maria and Louise, who I was going to meet for a quick celebratory bite to eat at Cassidy's on 55th between 5th and 6th. To be honest, I was not really looking forward to dragging ass across town, especially since I needed to head back to Louise's on the east side and pick up my stuff before going back to my parents' house in Croton, but I did want to spend a little extra time with them and relish in our accomplishment!

I met up with my group and let them know where I was going. My parents and Derek went back home (Derek had to do work), while Heather and Mike and I tried in vain to find a cab. Nope! After looking for 30 minutes, we finally decided on the subway. We took the 1 to Columbus Circle, then transferred (after another 20 minute or so wait) to 47-50 Rockefeller Center. Got out at 50th and 6th, and that was only a few short blocks away to the bar. (By the way, during this entire debacle, I kept missing calls from Kristin. I found out shortly that she had been at the finish and I didn't know it! She ran into my folks, who told her I had just left. Gave her the info for the meeting place and hoped she would be able to make it!

Now, I had mentioned before that I wasn't too keen on staying out for a long time. But as soon as I entered the bar, it erupted in cheers and applause! I couldn't believe it. Turns out a lot of marathoners came here for their post-race celebration, and every time another runner came in, everyone gave it up for them. That really turned my mood around; the stress from traveling so long to get there was gone and I could enjoy myself! And what do you know, 5 minutes after I entered...in came Kristin! Yay!

I usually can't eat a great deal right after races, but I did have some of those delicious Emerald Roasted Almonds from the goody bag and part of an apple. Also ordered the mushroom barley soup at Cassidy's with extra bread, which hit the spot -- it was delicious!

Also got the opportunity to meet some of Maria's family. While we didn't stay for very long, it was the perfect amount of time to relax and refuel a bit before heading back to Louise's. And, of course, we couldn't leave without getting a picture of the three of us!

After saying goodbye to Heather, Mike, and Kristin, I hopped in a cab (yay for cabs!) with Louise and Britt back to the east side. Took a MUCH needed shower and changed while waiting for Jack to come pick me up. We started watching the newscast from earlier in the day - guess it wasn't Paula or Ryan's day. :(

I really wanted more food (duh), so Mom, Jack, Derek and I went to Cappricio's - heaven!!! I had my favorite meal of all time, of course: Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti. The entree looked like it could feed a family of four.

The rest of the night and the next day I just relaxed, mostly with my feet up...went for a walk by the river with Cody (puppy) the next day and just enjoyed being home. Had another stress-free traveling experience on the way back. All in all, a wonderful weekend, filled with family and friends! Best time ever!

This week I am not going to run for at least a few days. This is now day 3 of no running. I think I am going to wait until Friday to attempt a very slow, easy jog. My legs were crazy the other day but now are feeling good, it's just that my right foot kills around the arch - blast! Going to try yoga today.

Of course I wouldn't be me without looking ahead to my next marathon...ok, I have to be honest: I am considering a May marathon!! (Maybe.) I want to keep it at least semi-local, so my choices right now are the Cleveland Marathon (May 16), the Cincinnati Flying Pig (May 2), or Pittsburgh (also May 2). Hmmm...will keep you posted, without a doubt! But until then, will try to work on my times for shorter races. :)