Friday

Oh Friends, How did it get to be Friday?

My bike ride for Monday was cancelled on account of rain, but I went to swim.  It monsooned, but I had no choice but to drag everyone to children's consignment to hunt for Halloween costumes.  To quiet him, I bought my four year old THE LOUDEST robot toy in the history of toydom.  It was intense and ill thought.

Our hot water heater went out on Monday morning.

On Tuesday, I got in a speed workout that went really well.

• 2 mile warm up
• 1 mile @ 7:00
• 400 meter jog
• 1 mile @ 6:40
• 400 meter jog
• 1 mile @ 6:25
• 400 meter jog
• 1 mile @ 6:40
• 800 meter cool down

Swim on Wednesday and then went to Bible study in the evening.

On Thursday, it was 45 degrees at 5:00 in the morning, but I road my bike with my bike group, met with someone about landscaping our abysmal yard, ran 6 miles, then ran errands and packed it home and sat on the couch biding my time until the children went to bed.

Today I phoned it in at swim!

Run tomorrow

Sunday

My intentions today were to make up for my missed Friday swim with a Sunday swim.  However, as per usual, things got a little dicey and I had to sacrifice my workout for a grocery store run.  AND, I will say that I didn't really fight for it.  We went to church this morning and my husband intimated that he had other plans outside of my workout, we needed milk and all of the sudden, it was 5:00 PM and the gym was closing and who cares.  

I was running with someone this weekend, who made the important point that "we aren't getting paid for this, this is just a hobby".  Those words rang true.  It was the truth.  Some days, child care and other people's plans trump my situation.  

That said, I am really hoping that my bike ride works out tomorrow.  It sort of fell apart last Thursday, and what I find is that something falls apart at least a couple of times a week.  I can't be that person trying to make up all of my missed workouts.  AS a general rule, I have 9-ish workouts a week, not counting any strength training or yoga that I do.  It's a lot.  If something falls  by the wayside, I can't get too worked up about it.  I am getting in all my runs, so "yay, for me".  Also, I can't help but feel great about getting in such a fabulous run yesterday.  It made me feel like this marathon business might work out OK!!

Daddy is the fun one

May I make a comment about how it is that I spend all this time wiping down high chairs, changing diapers, and brushing teeth, only to have my children throw a veritable ticker tape parade when my husband comes home.  Do they realize that their teeth would rot out of their heads if Daddy was in charge.  Where is the love?

Running

So two weeks ago, I had literally the worst 14 mile run of all time.  I dragged in, almost walking.  It could have been the heat, it could have been my eating, it could have been just a bad run, a really bad run.  Then last weekend, I was so demoralized and hoping for lightning that I just stayed in bed and ran a sad three or four miles at home.  THEN, this week, I worried all week about my big run.  I just worried worried worried about my 16 miler.  I knew that I would fall behind the group, feel like I couldn't make it, and just peter out.

My run, however, was pretty great.  I hoofed a quick 11 miles in the hills and then tacked on another 4.5 miles (I had to stop early, because I ran out of time) and got in a really solid run.  I enjoyed running with the group and I enjoyed my time on my own.  I ate lemony Power Bar gels and it was all lovely.

Here is the shame of my run.  It is pretty snobby and I will just tell you know that I am not proud.  Our running group stopped at a local public golf course to use the bathroom, grab some water and whatnot. When we emerged from the clubhouse, there was an impala (car) with the head of a snake airbrushed on the side.  It was just so trashy looking and it did not merit comment, but I felt it necessary to snarkily inquire amongst my running group if anyone was missing their car, then took the extra time to point out the cobra.  The driver was, OF COURSE, sitting in the passenger seat and MOST LIKELY, heard every word I said.  I am officially a terrible person.  The terriblest person of all.

Speed Work

guess who didn't have to get up before 5:00 AM???

Today was bike and speed work day.  At 9:00 last night, I got a text from the other members of my bike group that they were not going to be able to make it.  It is always a rather happy affair when someone cancels on me for an athletic event that requires that I rise from the bed before 5:00 AM.  It bothered me not in the least.  It is a thrill that my biking is on the road to improvement, but sometimes I just feel like I don't have the time to improve anything.

SO, I just scooched out of bed when Baby G roused himself, made some tea and started the whirlwind that is every morning in my house.  The most amazing thing is how lost I get in taking care of everyone else, and I glide right over my basic needs.  I am the last one to get breakfast, to get my tea or coffee, to get dressed, to get to brush my teeth, and I never get to wash my face unless I am in the shower at the YMCA.

Today, however I did need to get in a speed workout after I dropped the boys off at school.  Getting everyone to school went off without a hitch.  I didn't forget anyone's lunch or have any major problems once I got to nursery school.  I was able to glide seamlessly from the nursery school parking lot to the gym.  Once there, I jogged two miles on the treadmill, then ran one mile at 7 minutes, a next mile at 6:40.  The third mile, I started at a 6:30 pace, but then had to back it down to 6:45.  I just wasn't feeling it.  I did a 400 meter sprint to shut down my speed session and a 400 meter jog in between each of my miles.  I jogged a bit of time after that and headed home afterwards where I took a shower in the sanctity of my own home.

 I have not been alone in my own home in 10 months.  It was an amazing experience.  I enjoyed it for all of two seconds before I had to leap in the shower and hurriedly get ready to attend a meeting at work.

Good times

Gone Girl

Have I told you that I read Gone Girl.  It was one of those books that you read in three days.  You can't put it down.  It's not like it is the most well written book that I have ever read, but it was riveting.  I literally spent the three days (whilst I suffered with the swimmer's ear) shaking the baby off my leg and reading compulsively.  Whatever state you think your marriage is in, this was worse.  It was so much worse.  Everyone crazy, everyone awful, no one likable.  Though the book was really interesting and I whipped through it in three days, the hardest part was that there was no one to like or root for, at all.  Read it though, you may be the only one who hasn't.

Cold

Aaahhh, the sneezy day, the runny nose, the inability, nay refusal to quit.  Today there were many things to fit in: a run, a pilates class, Bible study, a trip to the bank, a trip to the grocery, and a trip to REI to investigate bike gloves.  I had the hours from 9:15 to 2:15 to get it all done, and as per usual, it did not go down as planned.  Though I had packed everything the night before and packed the car for nursery school so as to minimize any wasted morning time, it did not work out in my favor.  I somehow managed to leave the baby's lunch in the fridge, and I missed Bible study while I was sprint driving back to the house and then back to nursery school to get the forgotten lunch.

I got my run in, though it was slow and cold medicine laden, then I sprinted off to meet friends at a pilates class.  I did make it to the grocery store and the bank, but a brief conversation in the parking lot with other pilates class members cost me my trip to REI.  Now, I could have not tried to cram so much into the precious amount of time allotted me while my children are in nursery school, BUT that is the disease of having children in nursery school.  There is no other time where you can drive about without someone wailing away in the back seat, without having to unstrap everyone out of their carseats which makes the small errand take hours, or without having to fill sippy cups and snack bags for even the briefest of car trips.

It sounds silly, but the joy of dropping everyone off merrily at nursery school and having five hours where errands can be ran and happiness can be had is exhilarating.  I wish myself more luck on Thursday!!