AHHHH...

32 mile bike ride, average speed over 16mph (according to Bea's computer, I still need to replace mine). Just felt...dandy. I was all worried about not EVER being able to find the time to ride again. So far I was worried for no reason, and I think this summer will be no problem either. Words cannot express how giddy I feel about the prospects of long rides, after thinking they were gone. (Long runs evoke no giddy feelings, by the way.)

I moved my normal Sunday morning tutoring to tonight so I could be gone for 3 hours this afternoon without Fred getting annoyed at me. He and Andra had fun (went to the park, swung on the swings...picture below is actually from a couple weeks ago, but same idea). Andra was just in the BEST mood all day...giggly, chatty, just a happy, happy kid.

Two BOB runs

In all the drama I felt yesterday I forgot to say - Sunday I ran 5.5 miles with the BOB and it was so awesome! Not sure where my motivation came from to push it even up the hills. I tried the same thing the next day and it was NOT as good, only made 3 miles before walking the last 2.5 (which was worse than running). Still, 2 days in a row of BOB running was a good thing. I'm off track this week but hope the weather will cooperate for a run or ride outside Thursday and Friday.

Andra is better today, still not 100% though. I ended up sleeping on the floor in her room last night after I couldn't fall asleep in my own. Her breathing was loud enough that I could hear it in our room, but every time I drifted off I thought her breathing had stopped so I woke myself up. Pokey, my cat, kept me company all night which was nice. Andra woke up only once, then as usual around 6. After I fed her, she slept in my arms on the couch til 10. Had a couple other cat naps, came with me to tutor and had to sit on my lap to learn some geometry and chemistry, she thought it was much more interesting than her squeaky monkey. Good girl!

In RA news (so I don't forget I have it!) my ankle still comes and goes...some days hurts to walk (though running is usually fine, weirdly), some like today it's completely normal, full range of motion. Go figure. And the WebMD people tell me my piece really is going to be up soon. I am super impatient about it and hoping they didn't just cut me out.

When will it all end?

Andra's been leaking snot for a few days now. The long weekend was nice and I thought she was improving. Or so I told myself, even after she spit up (vomited?) pretty much everything she must have eaten this morning. I dropped her at daycare this morning instead of Fred so I could talk to them and let them know to call me if she needed to be picked up. At 11:30 they called and said her breathing was worse. So I got her (the sub who was in for my maternity leave happened to be having lunch with us, and happened to have been subbing for a teacher who had the rest of the day free, so she nicely offered to take the lab I had and I didn't even have to officially report my absence as she was already getting paid for a full day). We went to the doctor, who proclaimed her the happiest sick baby she'd ever seen. (Fred decided they must make pediatricians take a class on the right things to say to parents to make them feel like they have the best baby ever. At least around here.) Which of course was part of the problem, when your baby is happy and sleeps 12 hours, how do you know if she's not feeling well? Anyway, she's got snot, but lungs and ears are fine. I decided to take tomorrow off just in case. Luckily it's not a big deal, but it FEELS like a big deal. I have to get over this. I am SO STRESSED OUT. I don't want a sick kid for starters of course (I think I'll be up all night making sure she doesn't suffocate on her own snot). I also didn't want to have to go buy a new $800 washing machine today after ours broke a few days ago (we debated getting it fixed, but at 12 years old and at least a $300 repair bill, it just didn't make sense). I didn't want to go to the laundromat tonight, but Andra created another vomit flood in her car seat on the ride home from the doctor's (it was sad, except that she was so DAMN HAPPY afterwards) and I had to wash the cover. I also don't want to have to go get my emissions test and go to the DMV before Friday when my registration expires - it WAS all taken care of but I lost the stupid sticker before I put it on my car. I also lost my beach sticker - first year I've ever bought one (I hate the beach, too hot and I burn) and it's all just so ANNOYING because every time I check something off my to do list, 2 more things go wrong and have to be added. And I have to tutor for 3 hours tomorrow, now I might have to cancel 2 of them or bring Andra if she's feeling well enough (how will I know?). And I am sick of tutoring, but after spending $800 on a washing machine I feel way too guilty for EVER turning down a chance to make $125 an hour (yeah, crazy huh?).

Summer can't come fast enough.

Glorious weather

Following up my rides from last week, I rode Tuesday with another teacher from school (who's slower, but will go out for hours on her bike...we're planning a few long rides together this summer), and Thursday alone (skipping a faculty meeting...hey, I have priorities). Thursday my ass was saved from several wipeouts by a FedEx truck in front of me that forced me to slow down as I was descending (too quickly) down a twisty, unfamiliar back road. I also lifted at lunch Thurs and took Andra for a 40 minute walk in the evening. Wednesday I ran 4-5 miles. The weather this week was just too good to pass up. I felt so great about my working out (and having it be so much fun) that I didn't even mind that every night (M, T, W, Th) right after I put Andra to bed I had to go tutor for an hour. It was non-stop, but when I get the workouts in it's all ok.

Boot camp this morning, not sure about tomorrow, and then maybe a 5-miler on Monday morning. I won't PR of course...haven't been running enough to have any endurance and the speedwork I did for my 5k PR won't be enough (plus I've sort of stopped doing it!). I think I might do this one mile race in June in the town I teach in. It'll be a default PR, and just maybe (but doubtful) I could do it under 7 minutes!

I wish I were back at the running level I was before, when 9 miles was nothing and I was always in half-marathon shape. But, that's when I was always training for something. Seems like a long time ago! I'm really just so psyched to be getting out on my bike, even for just short hour long rides. And my biceps are, I think, the strongest and biggest they've ever been. I'm pretty content.

Bike 2!

I no longer have to pout and be jealous of all those I see on bikes lately. I got out twice in one week! Today was gorgeous (I'm glad I opted for the sleeveless jersey, my pale skin will NOT get rid of a farmer's tan once I get one), and I did a hilly 20 miles with Bea (first time I've ridden with her since fall of 2007 I think) into NY state. I need a new bike computer, but I LOVED the downhills. I never let myself enjoy them last summer for obvious (pregnant) reasons. And I still managed to pick Andra up by 3:30.

The weather has made a huge impact on my ability to work out. After I pick Andra up from daycare, anywhere between 2:30-3:30 usually, she tends to need some quiet time and often zonks out in my arms for a bit. (I've fallen asleep with her a few times.) Then, we'll head out in the BOB, alone or with Jessica and Kate, for a walk or a run (or a combo). I can't say my intensity is there, but the time is, and it feels good. I'm working out once, maybe twice a week at school at lunch (either lifting or treadmill running). Still going to boot camp on Saturdays. I am happy - the drive to be super intense or run long isn't there, but I think it'll come back this summer when work is out of the picture. I'll work out a part time schedule with daycare so we can keep our spot (this is probably the one summer I won't have to pay for full time even if she's not going full time, but I do need to keep her there some, which ultimately I'm happy about, except for the money aspect). I have all these grand plans about how I'll be able to run, swim, bike and lift all the time. In reality, if I can get in 2 different workouts a day (and an hour long walk will count as one!) I'll be happy. Plus I'm playing on a co-ed soccer team again starting in June which is always fun.

5 more weeks of school, one of which is exam week (meaning, no teaching!).

10k and first bike ride! And daycare

I ran a 10k Sunday. No way would I PR (I didn't), and I didn't even have any real time goal since I don't think I've run 6 miles more than twice since last September! Still, beating last year's 10 weeks pregnant time (55:52, 9:01 pace) would be nice.

I did 54:38, 8:48 pace. I tried just to run steady, and I think I did, despite messed up mile markers that had my first mile being 9:17, my second, uphill into the crazy wind that blew road grit into my eyes and mouth multiple times, mile being sub 8, and another sub 8 from 5-6. Clearly not the case. So I never really knew what my real pace was. Oh well, I expected 54:xx and that's what I ended up with! I pushed, but it was never super uncomfortable. I've done a race each of the past 3 weekends, and I needed a mental break. It was just nice to run "long!"


Fred and Andra were there at the finish. At some point he'll get the pictures off his fancy camera and I'll post them.

In bike news, last night I loaded up the bike into the car with the intention of riding after school for an hour. After Andra woke up just a bit too early (5:45 instead of the always hoped for 6:15), I thought I might bail and just come home and take a nap before picking her up from daycare. (Oh yeah, daycare...more below.) But I got a second wind, and even though I decided to start the ride from home instead of school, I did just over an hour and felt great! No idea yet how far as my computer was not functioning. (Update: 17 miles.) But it felt fast enough. And the route I took is so pretty, down to the Sound and past some really nice beaches and beach neighborhoods. My cell phone took decent pictures!



Daycare. Andra started at a small home daycare around the corner. She was supposed to go to a different one that I really liked, but it was contingent upon their getting their license expanded from 6 kids to 12, and that hasn't happened yet. So I scrambled a bit but found this one. It's great. We decided to keep her here long term. I wish the other had worked out, as I really did like it, but this one is closer, cheaper, more flexible in terms of hours, and though I don't like the house/set-up quite as much, the woman and her mom who run it are just fabulous. And Andra is having a blast. There's a 6 month old boy there (and 4 other toddlers), and when someone tickles him, Andra laughs. She just thinks he's the greatest. So I am actually finding it easier to get workouts in after school now than I was when my mom was here watching Andra. And, although I'm not quite ready to quit breastfeeding, I am ready to stop stressing out over trying to pump everything that she needs to eat every day. So she's getting 2 bottles of breastmilk and 1 bottle of formula most days (some days I do have 3 milks), and slowly I'm feeling really good about that. Before I was rushing to get home by 2:30 so I could feed her so she wouldn't need the 3rd bottle, but really that just wasn't working. I'm working towards a summer schedule of 6am nurse, 9am bottle, 12pm nurse, 3pm bottle, nurse the rest of the day. And pumping as long as I want to and giving formula when I've had enough. I am pretty impressed I made it this far, and Andra seems to prefer bottles anyway except first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Long post.

5k PR!

Here's the best I can do at a race report:

Mile 1: Went out too fast (7:20) but it's downhill a bit so, ok. 2 women passed me that I didn't think should have, but I was wrong.

Mile 2: Includes a short but steep uphill so I knew I had to watch it. Must've been about an 8:30 mile as I remember the time being close to 16:00.

Mile 3: Lots of debating going on in my head here. No big hills so I figure I can go sub-8 BUT it'll hurt. But "it's supposed to hurt" (thanks, Michelle!). And if I go 8:10 it'll hurt just as much but without the PR. So I just try.

Last 0.1: At mile 3 I think my watch said 23:40 or so so I knew I would PR! Saw Fred and Andra, gave 2 thumbs up, and Fred said I was the 7th woman (LOVE small races!). Final time had me at 24:22 (7:50 pace). So that's 17 seconds off my 2007 PR! I'll take it. I had a goal of setting 3 PRs before Andra turns 1. I now have 2.

I was also 2nd in my age group (30-39) and got a little trophy! Andra went up with me to claim it.

Lessons learned:
I can run in the rain.
Temperature makes a difference...55 today, 75+ last weekend, 2 minute difference.
Mile markers, a watch, and knowing the course makes a difference. I was willing to push today because I knew exactly where I was, physically and time-wise.
I'm not in bad shape.
I'm doing ok!

I have a super cute kid:

I miss my bike helmet

I just got it for my birthday last March. It's practically new. And it's out in the garage, totally neglected and probably home to some spiders.

I promise myself I will find a way to start riding in June.