Crashing Into Fun

I am so sad because I recently watched the finale of my favorite reality show. No, it didn't involve anybody being voted off an island or eating live bugs or anything like that. My favorite reality show was actually real and it was about a pack of cyclists battling through the country of France to wear a fancy yellow jersey. That's right, for the past three weeks I have been totally engrossed in the Tour de France and now that it is over I don't know what I will do with my evenings.

In other news, my workouts have made a comeback. (Just call me Lance Armstrong)

I feel like I really hit my stride this past week as far as working out goes. I haven't had much fun working up a sweat for a little over a month, but for some reason, last week, everything seemed to click and I felt good. I fit in 12 miles of running - short of my goal but you'll see why - but they were quality runs. I did some pilates and core work too, but most importantly, I pulled my bike out of the dusty garage and actually rode it! Here is what my week looked like:

M: off

T: 2.5 mile run (with jogging stroller)/core work and push-ups

W: 4 mile run (1 mile warm up, 2 miles at 8:30 pace, 1 cool down)/ 1 mile walk/ pilates dvd

Th: 1 hour bike ride/ 2.5 mile run

F: 3 mile run

S: 2 hours mountain biking

Su: 3 mile walk

The reason for my running mileage being on the low end was that Wes and I took an adults only trip to visit some friends in Charlotte. I was excited anyway, but then my friend Julie called before we left and asked us to bring our bikes so that we could "ride the trails". I was psyched to do that and so we headed up with our bikes. Short story, we had a blast!

Long story... no experience on trails + hybrid tires on my bike = crashing a lot! Seriously, I didn't think about how hilly the trails would be. (Come on, I live in the low country where hills only exist if you go over a bridge, and I only ever ride on the rodes. Hence the hybrid tires.) I took 2 pretty gnarly crashes when my back wheel spun out for lack of traction but other than that I did okay. Towards the end I felt a lot more comfortable with the twists, turns, and rapid descents, and I finally figured out my gears and was able to rock the climbs. And boy was it hard! My quads were screaming and I could swear that everyone around me could hear my breathing, but it was worth it. It was a great workout and I now I am pumped about getting back on my bike - even it is just on the flat roads here in Charleston.

I am so excited to be enjoying running again AND finding new, fun ways to work up a sweat. I already got in three miles this morning and may do some more with the stroller this evening. Tomorrow's workout? A road trip with three toddlers and their mommies to a theme park. Should make that mountain bike trail look tame!

Monday Morning

This past weekend flew by so quickly. I woke up this morning in full denial that it was Monday again. The start of another week. I really hate Mondays sometimes.

Even though the weekend was fast it did prove productive running wise. I got in a couple runs with the jogging stroller (a little air in the tires of that baby makes all the difference). Of course running with that is really limited to about 3 miles because any longer and Noah really starts getting antsy. He twists and squirms and starts saying things like, "I want to get out now. I am going to get out now, okay Mommy?" This always happens around mile 2 and it is all I can do to convince him to not jump out of the moving stroller until we have finished up 3 miles. But 3 miles is way better than no miles and so I managed to fit in more this week because of the stroller. Yesterday Wes and I did 4 hot, muggy miles around our county park which is basically a paved swamp. We ran and fantasized about how it will feel when fall arrives and the temperatures finally drop. After slogging through the heat (which slows you down no matter what kind of shape you are in) I imagine that when the cool weather kicks in we are going to feel like regular old Kenyans running down the street.

So, I got in 15 miles last week and I am stoked for that. I hope to do the same or better this week and add in some cross training on my bike. I am very excited because we are looking at getting a bike trailer for Noah to ride in while I pedal. It is going to be my early birthday present from Wes. I realize that I won't go very fast but I imagine that hauling around 30 or so extra pounds behind me will make for a good workout. Noah is excited too. Because he is so into trains right now, he is calling the trailer a "freight car" because it "couples up" to my bike the way a freight car couples up to an engine. We went to the store last night and looked at some "freight cars". He declared that he wanted a green one and climbed into several to test them out. I think he thought we were leaving with one yesterday and I had to try to explain to him that his Daddy would never buy the first thing he sees. We have to research all options and prices before making a decision. (What I didn't let him know was that if it were up to his Mommy, I probably would have bought the first one we saw, especially after he declared that he liked it so much and climbed in and asked me to push him around!)

Well, I must be off. Lots to do on this Monday morning...including some nice relaxing yoga on my rest day.

A Six Flags Workout

Here is something that I would not recommend...

Driving 6 and half hours in a car with a three year old. You'd think that is something I could have figured out before I tried to drive to Atlanta to see my Mom this past weekend, but it took a car trip that turned out to be an hour longer than predicted and almost swerving into several tractor trailers while trying to change the movie in the portable DVD player to convince me that maybe I won't be doing it again any time soon. I remember thinking around Augusta that I would rather get out and run the rest of the way than listen to Noah whine anymore about his butt hurting.

I guess I was so mentally exhausted after the drive that I just decided to let all my running plans for the weekend go up in smoke. I managed to fit in a 3 mile run one of the days that I was there, but that was all. Playing hookie to my running plan didn't do much for my weekly mileage but I have decided that this will be my attitude about it..."ehh, what are you gonna do?"

I did fit in a surprising sort of work out while visiting Six Flags. I forgot how big the park actually is and also forgot how much walking we would actually be doing. Of course the fact that I kept getting lost and wandering in the wrong direction of where I was trying to go didn't help much. Needless to say, I did a lot of walking, much of it carrying 29 pounds of 3 year old and about 5-10 pounds of purse. Yes, you heard that right, because I had to bring the big bag with all the kid supplies, everyone that I was with thought that they would just let me carry all their s**t too. So my bag ended up being very heavy. I am proud to say though, that despite carrying the bag and the kid, I was still passing people going up hills like they were standing still. That running fitness serves you well in lots of unexpected ways!

So this week I am back to trying to get in decent mileage. I am heading to the gym this morning to run there - not because I like it (I don't) but because there is no air in the jogging strollers wheels and a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do when she has a running addiction!

Fourth of July Fun

I had a great 4th of July here in Dante's inferno, a.k.a. Charleston. Just kidding, (kind of), it was really hot but I guess that was to be expected right? It is the height of summer in the south after all. I managed to get a couple runs in over the weekend (amidst boating fun and fireworks) and totaled 13 miles for last week. Not wonderful compared to most people, but compared to my past month it was great!


Here are Noah and I with our super cool sparklers!


This morning I had a great run. It was only 3 miles but I did a mile and a half at tempo pace (8:40 mile) and I felt fast - for the first time in a long time. And I felt like I could have kept going which I probably should have but I wanted to get home to watch the Tour de France on TV. I know, I know, lame but I wanted to see what Lance Armstrong would do. I have been having fun watching his comeback!

So the running is going pretty well and I have a feeling that soon I will be inspired to pull out the bike for some cross training!

What I Forgot About Running

This summer is flying by. In fact, the month of June went by so fast I barely remember anything about it. Except that I was sick a lot. And I didn't run very much at all. In fact, that whole not running very much at all has been stressing me out. That, along with potty-training my three year old (he is not all that interested and may stay in diapers until the age of 13), keeping my house clean because all of the sudden we have an ant infestation, paying the bills and sticking to our budget...you know, all those wonderful adult things that keep you up at night. But mostly at the top of the list - not accomplishing my running goals.



This week I have gotten in a few runs, and while I definitely feel slower than I did a month ago, it feels good to just be doing it again. Getting in regular workouts throughout my week. As I was running a really good 3.5 mile run at the county park the other night I realized something. I had been so focused on running at a certain pace for a certain amount of mileage that I had forgotten what the simple act of running could do for me. It can make my problems and the things that stress me out shrink down to completely solve able sizes. It can make any problem seem better, even my "problem" with my running. Amazing. Running can even solve a problem about running! It's simple and basic and I don't know why I forgot it.



Even though I haven't been out there that much lately, I have had a good time watching running on TV. Wes and I watched coverage of the USATF Outdoor Championships all last weekend and it was so fun. It's great to turn on ESPN and watch a sport that we both love. Plus it has been very relaxing to put Noah down for the night, grab a beer and be inspired in my very own living room. My favorite race was the women's 10,000 meters. Amy Yoder- Begley and Shalane Flanagan battling it out, lap by lap. And at the end when you were convinced that Flanagan was going to take it but then you looked at the resolve on Yoder-Begley's face and you knew she was not giving up without a fight. She ended winning and inspiring me for the second year in a row. I am going to try to summon her "don't give up" attitude more often when I run!