Birthday 5K

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!

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?

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!"

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

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)

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

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!!