Fall Back

Today was a glorious outside day. We took our kids and 4 neighborhood kids to the park where I ran 3 miles. So, whoop-de-doo, you say? Well, I've had plantar fasciitis since July. PF took over my life in a cruel way. I didn't want to walk to the kitchen for fear of intense pain in my heel and foot, and running was not even on my map. For months, I have just wanted to walk and stand without pain. I honestly didn't care if I ever ran again if I could just go about normal life without pain.

My foot is still sore a lot, but I've been able to slowly build up to running. I started barefoot in grass several weeks ago. It's been up and down with the running just like this entire injury. One day, my foot feels good, and then I'm back to grimacing with pain.

However, today is a new day. I hope to fall back into running regularly. I miss it and my running friends. Let's hope my foot is happy tomorrow, so that I might see those friendly Gazelles soon. :-)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Doggy Dash 5K

We adopted a dog this summer. Lilly is a 9-year old dachshund-beagle mix. She's really good at escaping from our fence, and she's really fast, much like her adopted father.

Well, of course she fits right into our active family. David signed her up for the Doggy Dash 5K. That sweet girl ran the whole way, tugging on her leash held by little boys who needed a slower pace.

We are so proud of all of our kids for finishing this 5K, but especially Lilly!

i carry your heart

A forgotten post
waits for an uploaded pic
penned may 17

===========================================
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart)

I shared those lines from the famous poem with Joshua tonight. I had written them years ago to my father on Father's Day (back in college when I had no money for a gift so I made a gift). It's overwhelming at times to look at my children. My cup runneth over.

The Summer of Creativity is dawning. I've put running and exercising on the shelf for lots of reasons. I'm not interested. I'm extremely busy. I don't care. I'm tired. I'm not training for anything. I really should exercise, but other interests tug at my minuscule amount of spare time.

Cooking is really fun. Baking is even better. Watching the mama bird get food for her chirping babies in my back yard is so peaceful. Sipping tea and reading is luxurious. Watching Joshua's baseball games is what spring is about for us. Listening to Elijah play the piano while doing dishes is life. Running? I think I am ready to play soccer again. Not in a league though. Maybe just kick the ball around in the yard with the kids. I need new cleats though.

I did run with Joshua at Chuy's Hot to Trot. He's 7, and this is his first 5K.

Anniversary Poems

For David

Peach blossoms bloom a
soft pink smile to you and me.
Wedding day tribute.


This poem is from our wedding, read by Aron during the ceremony.

"At the Wedding March"
by Gerard Manley Hopkins

GOD with honour hang your head,
Groom, and grace you, bride, your bed
With lissome scions, sweet scions,
Out of hallowed bodies bred.

Each be other’s comfort kind:
Deep, deeper than divined,
Divine charity, dear charity,
Fast you ever, fast bind.

Then let the March tread our ears:
I to him turn with tears
Who to wedlock, his wonder wedlock,
Deals tríumph and immortal years.

What Kind of Runner I Am

Ah, running. What can I say?

Humid, sticky long run last Friday morning with Sarah, Barb and Leslie A. Felt like a moist spring morning. Doesn't G-tree dislike me saying "moist" or was that someone else? G-tree, here's a "moist" shout-out for ya. ;-)

Circuit is still one of my favorites. Can't get used to this Texas weather even though I've never lived anywhere else. Wanted fewer clothes running on Friday. Wanted more clothes Monday night at the AHS track for circuit. Perfect weather for running today, and I see some cold air is on slate for tomorrow. Maybe this year I'll finally purchase decent running tights??

A perfect time this afternoon with my boys. A bit of whining on their part for going to the trail (really, it wasn't me whining for a change). Once they settled it that we were going to the trail to bike and run, they were fine. We headed out the NE side of the trail to the 5 mile marker and back. I wanted a short tempo run, but it's always hard with kids in tow (they were on their bikes).

Joshua asked for a stop at a lovely little tree patch before the wooden foot bridge east of The Four Seasons. There's a little art statue thing that we admired. About 20 ducks were having a river party, and Joshua looked like a model lazily leaning against a gorgeous tree in its fall party clothes. The squirrels were like kittens scampering up for food. Some kind soul had left some peanuts on the statue, which we we tossed to them. I really think I could have petted them if I'd wanted to. They came closer when we did the "Tchk-Tchk-Tchk" of kitten and cat calling.

So, we took about a 5-minute break during my tempo run. I think that says a lot about what kind of runner I am. I don't know many folks who pay much attention to the stunning scenery offered at Lady Bird Lake. If they do, most are too serious to actually stop. That stop Joshua requested today was the highlight of my run and my day.

Saturday Morning

Why is running on a treadmill so horrific for me? I honestly think treadmill pace/mile times are off. G-tree and I have had this discussion before, but I think I'm running faster than the treadmill shows. How, you ask? Well, my breathing is a good indicator. I sort of know when I'm huffing and puffing, and it seems every time I'm on a treadmill and just want to jog for 30 minutes, I'm gasping to keep up with the belt. Then I look at the screen and curse treadmill makers everywhere for displaying those pace/mile times anyway. I already think I'm slow, but I don't need a treadmill displaying some snail's pace in my face to let me know that I'm ultra-slow.

Enough of that. I can say that I'm very proud of myself for waking up at 6am while in Ft. Worth for a conference and going down to the hotel gym to run. The treadmill did have a new feature for me; it showed a birds-eye view either a track, hill, or 5K route while I ran.

I was away from my family for about 3 days for the first time ever. I have never been away from all three of my boys at the same time. I think they missed me more than I missed them. I did miss them, but the conference was busy, and I had no idle time to really pine away.

For years and years, almost every night I turn my lamp off beside my bed after reading. If I'm not terribly tired, I will think to myself, "One day I won't turn this lamp off." Some nights, I will think, "One day, I won't be laying in this bed, falling asleep." I'm not talking about moving. I'm not talking about getting a new lamp or bed. It is the blight I was born for.

Fall Equinox

Happy first day of Autumn. In Texas, that just means we might notice that the daylight and darkness are exactly equal since we won't be noticing any lovely leaf changes just yet. In honor of the Fall Equinox, I will post a beloved poem below (by my favorite poet, no less).

Since this is also supposed to be a blog about exercise/running, I will recap my feeble attempts at squeezing in time for a meaningful workout. Since I started my new (full-time) job, I have only managed to run twice/week. So last week, I vowed to change that (it also helps that a cool front blew in and I had to wear pants that I hadn't donned for months and said pants were snug).

Monday - 900s at Zilker. Being out of shape reminded me why I used to despise this workout. It was good to see my 5k/10k buddies though. I warmed up (and even did drills!), and then the group completed 5 900s. Once again, I admit I'm sucky at running up hills.

Tuesday - Lifetime Fitness. We've been giving our money to this gym and then staying away. Perfect scenario for them. I did 30 minutes on that running elliptical machine, then took the boys to the outside pool and watched them shiver in the cool water and colder breeze.

Wednesday - Bootcamp with Richard. I had planned to run beforehand but plans were foiled on two fronts. I forgot a sports bra, and DV forgot Joshua's bike helmet. I refuse to run without a sports bra, and my children aren't allowed to bike without a helmet. Instead, Joshua and I strolled around the new pond next to Palmer Auditoreum while Elijah was at piano. It's a really lovely little park area, and I quite enjoyed the time with Joshie. He's recently been clingy, and I think it's hit him that I work full-time now and am not around as much.
Bootcamp was awesome, btw. I really like that class and would go there over running on Wednesdays if I couldn't do both.

Thursday - 2 miles around the Small Middle School track during Joshua's football practice. It's not much, but it's more than before.

Friday - Does sitting in a chair for 2 hours getting my hair done count?

Saturday - Long run with Leslie and Elizabeth. They did 7 and I did 5?. I had to leave Runtex at 7:30am to get home in time to leave for Joshua's flag football game. It was really nice to run with them both. I haven't run with Elizabeth in ages. I also absolutely love running on the northeast side of the trail. It's so breathtaking in places.

Now for the promised poem. It's a good one, so please do read it. :o)

"Spring and Fall, to a Young Child"

Margaret, are you grieving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
Leaves, like the things of man, you
With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?
Ah! as the heart grows older
It will come to such sights colder
By and by, nor spare a sigh
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;
And yet you will weep and know why.
Now no matter, child, the name:
Sorrow's springs are the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What heart heard of, ghost guessed:
It is the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for.

-- Gerard Manley Hopkins

Sing-Song

I have a new job.
I haven't run much.
My new job is full-time.
My achy running knees have been bothering me.
It's all an adjustment.
I ran a whopping 5-mile long run Sunday morning.
Is it okay to mention I'm scared of 7th graders?
Elijah rode his bike with me on my run.
My kids will ride the bus to and from school.
It was a glorious morning run.
It's hard letting them go...and grow.
You may run 10, 15, 20 miles, but I had cherished time with my son.
I don't get to be so present anymore.
Maybe it's time to shift to a new hobby?
I do feel blessed. Uh huh, I do. That's right.
I like the idea of cooking sit-down-together dinners each night for my family.
Who wouldn't with such a family as this?
I might leave the running to the runners. You out there, Runners?

What we need more of in the world

Aye! There's only two more weeks until school starts. My summer has flitted by with packing and unpacking, driving and waiting, sorting and cleaning, swimming and biking, and more packing and unpacking. Start of summer seems so long ago, but I haven't much to show for the time. Perhaps I'm too hard on myself. Shouldn't I have a finished home? Shouldn't I be ready for my new job? Shouldn't those memory books for last year's class be done? Shouldn't I be logging more than 10 miles on long runs?

Fiesta Texas: Monday, August 4. The boys had free tickets they earned through a school library reading program. Tickets expire August 10, so time was pinching in on me. I dreaded the crowds (I haven't had much luck with Fiesta Texas), but I knew it wouldn't rain (again, not much luck with FT).

It actually turned out to be a pleasant day despite my grouchiness early on. One I relaxed and noticed there really weren't many folks there, I was fine. I think going on a Monday with a projected high of 106 F maybe kept some folks away. We stayed until 9pm, so we were plenty tired when we arrived home around 11pm (love eating Whataburger in the car on the way home).

The rest of my week was filled with work and not feeling well and mostly successful attempts to unpack the boxes from our storage unit. The storage unit is empty, so that's a plus, right? My house is a disaster though, but hopefully it will come together very soon.

DV left on Thursday for his boys' retreat weekend to Colorado. Friday, Elijah, Joshua and I got up early for a Geocaching Event at Dick Nichols Park (8-8-08 from 8am - 8:08am). Afterwards, we found a cache that had evaded us a few weeks back. Saturday we found yet another cache with my sister and niece, so it's been a successful caching weekend for us.

Saturday long run: Scenic/Mountain Bonnell. Well, Coach says "Mountain" Bonnell so I like to say that, too, but in his accent. Just saying Mountain Bonnell won't cut it; you simply must say it with a Burundi drawl.

I'm already tired of running on Lake Austin Blvd, but it was fine. I ran with Barb to the 5-mile turn-around point. We ran into Emily, Allison, and Gayatri there, so we all ran back "together." We didn't really run back together at all. Allison stopped for a bathroom break, and the other three kept going. I waited for her, and we ran along until we caught Emily, who didn't feel well and was walking. We caught back up to Gtree and Barb at the water stop on LAB. Even though I asked them to wait so we would all run together, they took off.

It's for the best as my knees were killing me. I had planned to run 7-8 miles, but Barb asked me to run 10 with her. I felt fine going out LAB and onto Scenic, etc. I didn't really start hurting until around 6-7 miles into the run. Allison was also hurting so we walked quite a bit the last 3 miles (probably half of those last 3 miles). My IT bands and knees really screamed about that run the rest of the day despite minimal stretching and soaking in Barton Springs. Ah, if there was only time for sitting around with ice on my legs.

We need more poetry in the world. Also, if anyone has seen my cat, Simi, tell her we want her to find her way back home.

Glow Hard

Lame, boring recap of past workouts.

July 19 was the Kids' Tri, in which I did the amazing distance of 200m swim, 5 mile bike, and 1.2 mile run. I tell ya though, that run was hard, really hard. Never underestimate a triathlon no matter what the distance. DV said it was hard, too, so it's always nice to know the fast folks feel the same as me.

I think the week before I met Allison to run around the 'hood and probably did 6 or so miles. I've been feeling really fatigued in my legs since the move, so some workouts have been difficult for me.

July 21 we did 700s, and Gilbert told us to do 6 at a slower pace. I went fairly slow, which was fine for me. I didn't even time them, and by the time the 6th one came around, I was pooped. It's been such a hot, hot summer, so running at 5:30pm has been fairly brutal.

July 22 - Total Body Sculpt at Lifetime Fitness. Ow. The entire hour and 15 mins I kept thinking, "I have do 800s tomorrow." It's a great class, but I seem to be sore from it for days...and it really is "total body."

July 23 was a fun workout, actually. That was the evening a crazy rain storm blew threw right as I was driving to running class (about 5:15pm). I knew the storm would keep tons of folks away. When I got to the track at 5:30pm, the rain had blown over and the sun was out. The air was thick with moisture, and the sun kept pushing the clouds aside determined to beat down on the few of us that made it to class. We were scheduled for 800s, which isn't a favorite of mine but don't do it often enough to truly fear it. Let me point out that Sarah and I were the only gals to show up. We ran most of them together, and at the start, 6 repeats seemed like a lot. We didn't think we could make ourselves go faster each repeat, but we somehow did. My last one was 4:44, which surprised me since I haven't been consistently running this summer. I really didn't think I'd be able to run that fast in the sauna we were dealt that day. I left really happy and proud of doing all 6 and doing them well.

July 26 - Blanco Out-Back Tri. I didn't do it, which was a wise move on my part. I cheered David, Linda, and Snowdene on (as well as DVs friends). I did a 45 min long run around 11am - just ran all around Blanco State Park. It was hot but lovely. It's a nice little park.

Later that day we drove to SeaWorld for a Cub Scout sleepover. What a nightmare. The SeaWorld counselor tromped us all over the park from 5:30pm - 10:30pm with minimal breaks. Familyvance was beyond exhausted and would have happily gone to bed at 8pm. However, SeaWorld had our sleeping bags and luggage held hostage. We finally were given permission to lay down around 11 or 11:30pm. We slept in the Shark Habitat, which sounds really cool but was really horrid. The closest bathroom was maybe 1/4 mile away, and we slept on the hard floor covered by thin, filthy carpet that thousands upon thousands of people walk on daily. It was a mixed blessing when the lights were turned on at 6am. I got to get off the hard floor, but I had to interact with our fellow scouts and the SeaWorld counselors. We headed off for more tromping around the park until about 9am, when praise God, we got to be regular visitors at SeaWorld who can stop and sit down and do whatever our hearts desire. I honestly think we walked miles with that slave-driver SeaWorld counselor. And besides, she wanted us to sing summer camp songs as we walked through the park. "Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas. Oy! Stomp bananas, stomp, stomp bananas! Oy!"

Monday, July 28 - mile repeats. I forgot my watch. I ran them slow, and I did 3, even though I probably should have done 4. They weren't anywhere near my past mile repeat times, but I didn't care. My legs were beat up from SeaWorld.

Wed, July 30 - 5 mile fartlek - 3 on/1 off, 2 on/1 off, 1 on/1 off and then repeat. I went to the 5:45am class, and I got to run with Gayatri and Leslie. It was a new fartlek experience for me as there was a large group we were to stay with (Group A). I think there were 12 or so folks in this group. The faster runners would turn back on the "easy" minute to the slowest runner to make sure we stayed as a group. The thought was really nice, and I don't know that I'm against it...just new to me. The group really should have been 2 groups b/c the speeds were a little too far spread out, especially during the really rough 3 mins "on." So maybe a A1 and A2 group is in order, but it really doesn't affect me right now as I'm an afternooner where we don't need no stinkin' groups...er...at least fancy organized groups with letters assigned to us.

Sat, Aug 2 - 8+ mile long run with Leslie and Gayatri. They started at Robert E. Lee, and I met them at LAB and Exposition. I felt fine other than some muscle in my right outer calf bothering me. It's been bothering me since SeaWorld or perhaps even the triathlon on the 19th. It was humid, but I still thinks it's easier to run in a humid morning than 105 degree afternoon. Gayatri ran 14 miles! Yea! Leslie did 12 miles. Yea! Glow hard, ladies!

Now I get to unpack more boxes that we brought from the storage unit. We are never moving again.

Some amazing photos!

Why post something about myself when other things are more interesting?

YMCA Kid Pitch Summer 2008. Joshua loves playing catcher.



Elijah throws it in from the out field.


The boys at bat.





Joshua pitched the last inning of the last game. He got 2 strike outs, and the fielders got an out at 2nd. He's only 6.5 years old!



Familyvance did the Hill Country Kids' Tri last Saturday. Here you see the two cutest participants. I do have pics of me and DV which I might post when I have more time.



And we can't forget Joshua at his first ever Horse Show. He's cowboy and horse-obsessed, and here he is riding his beloved Brownie. Joshua attended a week-long camp at Bee Cave Riding School.

100th and 6th

Hey, this is my 100th post. Aren't I supposed to get a cake or something? Does a new house count?

Yes, we are in the new house. It's been a pretty hectic and emotional week as we closed on our beloved little house last Thursday and leased-back until Monday when we closed on our new house. We spent all of Monday moving and were rewarded with a new fridge installation along with two batches of brownies from friendly neighbors. Ah, we now relish the joys of unpacking.

I am a fairly anxious person. Perhaps not so externally anxious, but those who know me, know that I can fret over the unknown and pending change. I've been getting little sleep, and it's caught up to me. Yesterday reminded me of the weeks after having a baby. I wanted a nap so badly, but I kept getting visitors to see the new house. When I finally got my chance to doze off, a child called my name as he attempted getting orange juice from the top shelf of the new fridge (he christened the new fridge with a big spill).

Sunday we ran the third and final trail run in the Rogue trail series (the Saint). I was beyond tired, and my body felt it the first mile or two. I ran with Leslie A., and it was once again a fun and beautiful run. We ended up running faster than I thought we were going to run. I felt sluggish and even took a migraine pill before the run. David took a hard fall, but he ended up winning 2nd overall for the series. I got 6th place overall for the series...er...6th from LAST PLACE! Geesh, I know I'm extremely slow, and I know I ran those races for fun. But it's still sucky to see my slowness posted on the internet for the world to see. I try to comfort myself by saying, "Lots of people didn't run all 3 races," or "Think of all the people who slept in all those Sundays." Ya think it works?

I never did post about Day 2 of the MS150. For my own sake, I will be posting that eventually.

I have to start biking again and swimming as we may do a couple of triathlons later this month. Nothing big or fancy. The boys are going to do a kids' tri that has a team option with a parent (race separately but times combined). At the end of the month is the always fun Blanco Out-back Tri. Dust of the tri shorts, y'all.

May memories

I want to remember two really beautiful and memorable runs from May. I've settled with myself that I'll never go back and catch up on all the runs, workouts, and things of interest. In fact, I don't even remember much I want to share. I did write a tiny snippet about the Maze, so I'm covered there.

Mother's Day morning, I ran with Gayatri and Elizabeth, who were kind enough to join me even though they did their long run Saturday. We ran 6 miles along the north side of the trail from 1st street to Longhorn Dam. Details fade, but it was a glorious spring morning. G-tree and Elizabeth talked of seeing a Swan family the day before, complete with 5 baby swans. "What are baby swans called?" we wondered as we ran toward the dam. I secretly hoped we'd see those little puffs of downy fluff. I don't think I have ever seen a baby swan.

On our way back, I spotted swans in the reeds along the riverbank. We crept in and saw 5 darling baby swans (cygnets for you precise folk). They were brownish-gray with small, black beaks. It was the sweetest scene as the family nestled in the reeds. I felt it was the perfect start to Mother's Day. I haven't seen the swans or cygnets again since then, but perhaps I'll look a little closer next time I'm on the northeast side of the trail. I'm curious to see how the babies have grown and changed.

Mother's Day we also set out to find some tadpoles at Barton Creek down off Lost Creek Blvd. Joshua and Elijah kept a tadpole a piece (along with an accidental minnow), and I took a tadpole to the preschool for the kiddos. If you've never watched a tadpole metamorphosis, then you might want to jaunt down and get yourself a tadpole. I was more interested and fascinated than the kids, I think. Elijah named his tadpole "Taddie" and Joshua named his tadpole "Morphy." On Father's Day, we took Taddie and Morphy back home to the creek because they were now froglets.

Tiny baby Morphy


Elijah holding Taddie


Now, the other run I want to mention is perhaps one of the most beautiful runs I've ever done. I mentioned before that David took me to Dallas for a short anniversary trip to see the LA Galaxy play FC Dallas. We drove up Saturday and ate dinner at a really yummy, recommended restaurant called Cafe Izmir. Maybe some of you have been there. Sunday morning we woke up and drove to White Rock Lake to run. It was fun for us to run together where David had run his sub-3 marathon. We started out together on the concrete and asphalt trail as cyclists zoomed by. This trail is clearly more popular for cyclists than runners.

Once David realized I would be safe running alone, he took off in a blur. I had already pointed out wildflowers and made us stop to smell them and get a closer look. The lake was very lovely. The sky was clear blue with smears of white clouds as though someone ran a icing-laden finger across the sky. I stayed on the pedestrian trail whenever possible rather than the asphalt road. It was mostly shaded and just lovely. Downtown Dallas peeked into view around turns and up hills (which there weren't really any hills).

I did and out and back run while David ran the whole trail loop. I had to stop again for some flower admiring. There was a thistle that was over 6-feet tall. The pedestrian trail went through some grassy areas with flowers that were over 3 feet tall, so it felt like I was running in a field.

My chest was bothering me where my bra strap lays, so I tucked my shirt under and felt better. I ran this way until shortly before meeting up with David back where we started. As I walked toward him I pulled my shirt back down straight, and he asked me, "What happened?" I looked down at my white shirt to see blood and sweat swirled around. I was surprised. I had no idea I had been bleeding. My new bra had rubbed enough to make me bleed, and I was able to sympathize with running men who have sweaty-blood driplets from their nipples.

Both the White Rock run and the Swan run were times I wish I'd had a camera. I don't do justice to the sereneness of those runs, but hopefully you've had a run just as stunning, peaceful, and full of beautiful nature. I think the White Rock trail would be perfect if it had an actual trail rather than concrete and asphalt.

So, I can't close this post without sharing a picture or two of the soccer game. It was really thrilling to see David Beckham play. If you can't spot him in the pictures, he's the one with the long-sleeved jersey. BTW, LA beat Dallas 5-1. Ouch!

Beckham Direct Free Kick (notice the time and score of the game)


Beckham on Defense

Fast and Fine

In the early morning sunrise, I met Ginny and Leslie for a Greenbelt run. The air was cool and refreshing, and the dew on the greenery along the trail sparkled in the sunlight and gently splashed against us as we ran by.

I adore that trail. I don't know why more of my friends won't run the trail with me. No one fell or got lost this time, so really, why not join me? I understand the desire to stay on the road for mileage, but my goodness, it's so dull sometimes. I am so happy that there are running buddies willing to try out the trail on a Sunday morning, so I don't have to run alone. It's hard sometimes to coordinate with my running spouse, and I appreciate those friends who will switch from the Saturday pavement norm to join me in the glorious nature spectacular the Greenbelt offers.

We had some mud and puddles this time thanks to yesterday's storms. We had some enlightening conversation about right and left-brain and how your brain works while running on a trail. Fascinating! Anyone who's run on a trail knows that zoning out just can't happen, and I learned today that both sides of the brain work hard while trail running. So it's good for your soul, your body, and your mind to trail run.

We chatted the whole run and had a fun time. Ginny runs T/Th afternoon, so I told her she'd probably seen David there. She asked what he looks like, and I said, "He's fast and hot." LOL. But seriously, I never really use the word "hot" to describe anyone simply because that's not from my era (my boys use it and it's so hilarious to hear a 6 and 8-year-old describe girls as "hot"). David is hot, mind you, but I prefer to think of him as "fast and fine." You gotta say fine with a really drawn out "I"...fiiiiiine (and maybe nod your head a bit while saying it. Try it!).

The Saint is next week, and I think Leslie will join us for that fun run. We also talked about adding in a trail run at least once/month for a long run or even adding it as a secondary run during the week. If I see Lake Austin Blvd. any time soon, I think I'll yak. I get so tired of those same, tired run routes. I am sad that I missed the Grove route this week as I've never done that one (minus the trail part, of course).

Next week is also our last weekend in this house. I don't think it's quite hit me yet even though I've been packing and prepping. David's taking down the tree house. I'm a very sentimental person, and this is the house where my boys were babies. This is the house of Familyvance. It's going to be hard to say farewell to it. I am sort of hoping it's so frantic next weekend and on Monday when we close and move.

My boys got their first sunburns yesterday. I think by their age, I'd become an expert on sunburns. Joshua actually wants a sunburn. It's like riding the bus to school. It sounds so fun until you have to do it every day.

I have a "girls' only" blog topic that I want to post. I'll have to warn the men that if they read it, they might regret it! Coming soon...

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves

I'm a grammar nerd, and when I make grammar mistakes, I don't like it. I don't mind making them, but I mind that I don't edit them properly. Usually my errors are due to rushing through while typing or editing.

Anyway, yes, I'm a total grammar geek, and I'm proud of it. I recommend the above book for anyone with half a brain (you must have half a brain in order to giggle at all the horrible grammar mistakes).

Along this topic, David took me to Dallas in May for a belated anniversary weekend. We saw the LA Galaxy (David Beckham!) play FC Dallas. The field is in Frisco, and we planned to have lunch in Frisco before the game. We drove around looking for a place to eat. I told David we had to eat at this restaurant simply because they punctuated their sign correctly. Amen! The food was really yummy to boot (lol, soccer pun).

Poetry for a dad or two

For my dad:

"My Father"
by Yehuda Amichai

The memory of my father is wrapped up in
white paper, like sandwiches taken for a day at work.

Just as a magician takes towers and rabbits
out of his hat, he drew love from his small body,

and the rivers of his hands
overflowed with good deeds.


For my husband:

1723
by Emily Dickinson

High from the earth I heard a bird;
He trod upon the trees
As he esteemed them trifles,
And then he spied a breeze,
And situated softly
Upon a pile of wind
Which in a perturbation
Nature had left behind.
A joyous-going fellow
I gathered from his talk,
Which both of benediction
And badinage partook,
Without apparent burden,
I learned, in leafy wood
He was the faithful father
Of a dependent brood;
And this untoward transport
His remedy for care,—
A contrast to our respites.
How different we are!

Also for my husband:

"Anecdote for Fathers"
by William Wordsworth

I have a boy of five years old;
His face is fair and fresh to see;
His limbs are cast in beauty’s mould,
And dearly he loves me.

One morn we strolled on our dry walk,
Our quiet home all full in view,
And held such intermitted talk
As we are wont to do.

My thoughts on former pleasures ran;
I thought of Kilve’s delightful shore,
Our pleasant home when spring began,
A long, long year before.

A day it was when I could bear
Some fond regrets to entertain;
With so much happiness to spare,
I could not feel a pain.

The green earth echoed to the feet
Of lambs that bounded through the glade,
From shade to sunshine, and as fleet
From sunshine back to shade.

Birds warbled round me—and each trace
Of inward sadness had its charm;
Kilve, thought I, was a favoured place,
And so is Liswyn farm.

My boy beside me tripped, so slim
And graceful in his rustic dress!
And, as we talked, I questioned him,
In very idleness.

“Now tell me, had you rather be,”
I said, and took him by the arm,
“On Kilve’s smooth shore, by the green sea,
Or here at Liswyn farm?”

In careless mood he looked at me,
While still I held him by the arm,
And said, “At Kilve I’d rather be
Than here at Liswyn farm.”

“Now, little Edward, say why so:
My little Edward, tell me why.”—
“I cannot tell, I do not know.”—
“Why, this is strange,” said I;

“For, here are woods, hills smooth and warm:
There surely must some reason be
Why you would change sweet Liswyn farm
For Kilve by the green sea.”

At this, my boy hung down his head,
He blushed with shame, nor made reply;
And three times to the child I said,
“Why, Edward, tell me why?”

His head he raised—there was in sight,
It caught his eye, he saw it plain—
Upon the house-top, glittering bright,
A broad and gilded vane.

Then did the boy his tongue unlock,
And eased his mind with this reply:
“At Kilve there was no weather-cock;
And that’s the reason why.”

O dearest, dearest boy! my heart
For better lore would seldom yearn,
Could I but teach the hundredth part
Of what from thee I learn.


One last poem for fathers that I find amusing:

"On the Birth of His Son"
Su Tung-p'o (c. 1070, trans. Arthur Waley, 1919)

Families, when a child is born
Want it to be intelligent.
I, through intelligence,
Having wrecked my whole life,
Only hope the baby will prove
Ignorant and stupid.
Then he will crown a tranquil life
By becoming a Cabinet Minister.

Short-n-Sweet

I had a fairly lame blog typed up, but it's not worth printing. To keep it short, familyvance has been swamped with house duties as we prep to list our house this week.

I still plan to write something further about the MS150 because I do want to remember it, even if everyone else has forgotten they wanted more details.

DV and I ran The Maze on Sunday, which is a very fun trail run that we ran last year. That race is so darn fun, but I am so out of shape for running. That 10K run was the longest run I've done in weeks and weeks. Barb and Allison ran with me, and we had so much fun. Trail runs are so fun (or at least this one is fun). The next race in the series is The Loop, and last year, it was so difficult for me. I said I'd never run it again, but I'm probably running it again.

I love power washing. I could be a professional power washer, I think. And if I didn't marry a handyman, then I'm married to one now. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Joshua loves Wilke

Wilke wasn't so bad. Honestly, there's not a work out I can think of that is harder or more painful than a few parts of the MS150. Wilke is steep and long, but it's over in a few minutes or less. Tempo is painful and often makes me anxious, but again, it's over with rather quickly compared to 165 miles into the wind.

I only did 4 up and 2 backward b/c I'm still in recovery-mode from the MS150. I do think this week will bring back my normal workouts. Joshua, who is 6 years old I remind you, did 6 forward Wilkes yesterday. Can anyone other than Gilbert and Joshua boast of doing the same number of Wilke repeats as their age?

The Maze is this weekend. We've been so busy getting the house in order to sell that we've kind of let that race go. I'm not ready to do that, so I talked Gayatri into running it with me as a long run and not a race (as if I "race" anyway). Hopefully it will work out that we can do it because it was really a fun run last year.

More Joshie-isms:

"I'm a good forgetter, so if you want me to forget something, tell me."

Correction from the previous post: "I love sports, bugs, sleep, and Star Wars." Ah...we surely couldn't forget Joshua's love of bugs.

"Who's faster, you or Nate?" (Nate is Joshua's guitar teacher and runs in the 5k/10k class)

"Who's faster, Nate or Daddy?"

"Who's faster, Daddy or Bernard?"

The Darndest Things

My friend, Kendra, reminded me this weekend that on my birthday I'd be twice as old as I was when I graduated high school. Thanks, Kendra! I never thought of it that way.

Yesterday, Joshua said, "I love sports, sleep, and Star Wars."

My class had Painted Lady caterpillars. They were tiny. They came in a clear, plastic jar complete with food of some sort. They ate and ate. We left one Friday with tiny caterpillars and returned Monday to these really large caterpillars. It was astounding how quickly they grew. That very day one after another formed a chrysalis. How do they do that? Spit? Molting? The children were amazed. The teachers were amazed. A little over a week later, chrysalis after chrysalis started to shake. It takes them a long time to come out. I waited and waited hoping to see one actually come out, but I never saw one emerge. I'd see a chrysalis shaking and then later there would be this quiet, lovely Painted Lady butterfly next to the empty shell. We admired our Ladies for a couple of days. I gave them watermelon over the weekend. Yesterday we released them, and I hope they have a glorious life of sucking flower nectar. What a great thing to be. Fly from flower to flower sipping nectar, helping with cross-pollination, just being all-around beautiful and graceful. People like butterflies. It would be a different story if you were say...a roach or a spider.

Elijah has this front tooth that's been sticking out like he was kicked in the face with a hoof. It's a baby tooth just dangling by a few roots. His permanent tooth is growing in behind it. I tried to pull it last night but don't have the stomach for it. David didn't even try to pull it. We are the weak-stomached parents.

Speaking of David, he won another race. Maybe one day I'll actually get to be at the finish of a race he wins. He works really hard and runs twice a day, if you were wondering how he keeps improving. While he runs, I eat. Jack Sprat could eat no fat...

A child at my preschool had lice. My head itches all the time now. Have you ever had lice? I believe a poem is in order, and it's one of my favorites, too!

"To a Louse"
by Robert Burns (modern English translation below but do try the original!)

Ha! Whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie?
Your impudence protects you sairly,
I canna say but ye strut rarely
Owre gauze and lace,
Tho' faith! I fear ye dine but sparely
On sic a place.

Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
Detested, shunn'd by saunt an' sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her --
Sae fine a lady!
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body.

Swith! in some beggar's hauffet squattle:
There you may creep, and sprawl, and spr
Wi' ither kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn nor bane ne'er daur unsettle
Your thick plantations.

Now haud you there! ye're out o' sight,
Below the fatt'rils, snug an' tight;
Na, faith ye yet! ye'll no be right,
Till ye've got on it ---
The vera tapmost, tow'ring height
O' miss's bonnet.

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose ou
As plump an' grey as onie grozet:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
Or fell, red smeddum,
I'd gie ye sic a hearty dose o't,
Wad dress your droddum!

I wad na been surpris'd to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy:
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
On's wyliecoat;
But Miss's fine Lunardi! fye!
How daur ye do't.

O Jenny, dinna toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread!
You little ken what cursed speed
The blastie's makin!
Thae winks an' finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin'!

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!


Modern Translation

Ha! Where are you going, you crawling wonder?
Your impudence protects you sorely,
I can not say but you swagger rarely
Over gauze and lace,
Though faith! I fear you dine but sparingly
On such a place

You ugly, creeping, blasted wonder,
Detested, shunned by saint and sinner,
How dare you set your foot upon her -
Such fine a lady!
Go somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body

Off! in some beggar's temples squat:
There you may creep, and sprawl, and scramble,
With other kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Where horn nor bone never dare unsettle
Your thick plantations

Now hold you there! you are out of sight,
Below the falderals, snug and tight;
No, faith you yet! you will not be right,
Until you have got on it ---
The very topmost, towering height
Of misses bonnet.

My sooth! right bold you set your nose out,
As plump and gray as any gooseberry:
O for some rank, mercurial resin,
Or deadly, red powder,
I would give you such a hearty dose of it,
Would dress your breech!

I would not have been surprised to spy
You on an old wife's flannel cap:
Or maybe some small ragged boy,
On his undervest;
But Miss's fine balloon bonnet! fye!
How dare you do it.

O Jenny do not toss your head,
And set your beauties all abroad!
You little know what cursed speed
The blastie's making!
Those winks and finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice taking!

O would some Power the gift to give us
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder free us,
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
And even devotion!

Good Times

After looking at my "official" MS150 photos from Brightroom, I have once again vowed to lose 10 pounds. Of course, my birthday is Monday, and I'll be stuffing down oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and lemon cake. Perhaps Tuesday I'll get right on that weight loss goal. I have told myself before to carry around a really unflattering picture of myself and look at it before I eat a cookie or whatnot.

A long time ago, in a galaxy not so far away, I was sewing a Jedi Robe. Remember that? Well, Joshua didn't forget, and he asked about it a couple of weeks ago. He asked on a Sunday late afternoon, so I sighed and decided to bite the light saber and finish that robe. I only had to sew the sleeve hems and attach the sleeves. It went rather quickly and in under an hour, the robe was done. Fortunately, my client didn't care about all the horrible sewing. He thinks his robe is the greatest thing ever.



Last Thursday, David and I celebrated our whopping 9th anniversary. I've been wanting to go to the Melting Pot for a long time, so that's what we did. Of course we loved the cheese and dessert fondue. We didn't particularly care for the entree fondue. I guess we aren't big "raw food at the table" kind of folks. We were too impatient to cook it all, and we didn't like seeing the raw meat. It was an enjoyable experience overall, and we will doubtfully go again unless it's with friends or family.

I was a neglectful spouse and forgot to get David a card. I did send him some delicious cookies from Tiff's Treats. He sent roses to my place of employment, which we all know is required when sending flowers because why else do you send them if not for others to see you receive flowers and ooh and ahhh over them and think you're such a lucky person for getting flowers and wow, he must luv you and why are you getting flowers today, blah, blah, blah.

The real treat was the card he gave me at dinner. It wasn't an anniversary card, but rather a pig card. Inside was a printed slip of paper with a picture of David Beckham on it. He got me David Beckham for our anniversary! Awesome! Actually, he got us 2 tickets to see the LA Galaxy play Dallas on May 18. Truly awesome. I get a weekend away with my Darling of Darlings, I get to watch a soccer game, and I better get to see David Beckham on the field. Let's all think positive thoughts for no injuries or shenanigans.

For those interested in the MS150...I endeavor to provide a detailed ride report this weekend. For now, you can laugh heartily at my official pictures. You can also view my pictures from the disposable camera I took on the ride.

Still Recovering from Spring Forward

I jokingly "wrote" a blog in conversation with David the other day:

I ran, blah, blah, biked 30 miles, two flats, Enchanted Rock, how much crap can can one tiny house hold?

I think there might have been one or two other snippets in the original, but the concept is the same. It doesn't really matter if I write in this blog or not. It doesn't matter if I give detailed reports of my running or cycling or anything. I'd like to recap for my sake, so if I ever look back and wonder how I did with running/cycling, I'll have a record.

My IT bands have been hurting since I added in the cycling after 3M. Two Saturdays ago, I met Elizabeth, and we ran approx 7 miles on the trail. We met at 1:30pm b/c our Davids ran in the freezing morning with the Gazelles. We ran on the east side of the trail up to Longhorn Dam during a rowing competition. The trail looks so different when it's packed with people watching a rowing competition.

Two Sundays ago I did a 30-mile with Sarah and friends. I had a flat before we even started biking. At 4 miles into the ride, "Blowout!" (say it like the dad in A Christmas Story). I had no tube with me and sent the others on down Mopac (we started from my house and were doing Mopac and Veloway). DV came and rescued me, changed the flat properly, and drove me back to the Veloway so that I could find my group. I found them and enjoyed the rest of the ride. Later that day I tried to ride for another 15-30 minutes, and I could not sit on the seat. My butt was so very tender, I literally could barely sit. But I forced myself.

I've been attending Gazelle class. We did a horribly painful core workout the first Monday of spring break. I suck at plank and should probably do plank every day. Last Wednesday it was the ladder workout at the track (600m, 400m, 200m). I usually love this workout but it was hard to do this time. I know we started out too fast (geesh, will I ever learn?), but I quickly fixed that on the very first 400. My knees held up through the 3 sets.

Two weeks ago was circuit and fartek, two of my favorite workouts. Few folks love circuit, but I do. I do remember this being a crazy weather day with extremely strong winds. We all felt like we could lean into the wind on the back side of the track, and it would hold us up. Fartlek on that Wednesday was the 4-mile loop again, which we enjoy much better than running around Auditorium Shores.

I was planning to do my long run last Friday, but I changed my mind after my knees were jolted into pain at Enchanted Rock. We took the boys last Thursday, and it was a fabulous time. David and I were in pain coming back down the rock - him with his shin and me with my knees. I figured I'd hold off on a long run or possibly run a little on Saturday. Saturday came and went with no running b/c I really need to rest up for the longer bike rides. It's exhausting doing long runs, long rides, 24-7 kids, work, cleaning out our house and prepping it to sell, etc.

Sunday (just two days ago! see how fast I can recap?): 50 mile ride with Sarah, Lynette and Lonny. I was nervous and my stomach hurt. I am always like this when I'm doing something for the first time. I had never ridden the route we had planned (Old San Antonio Road - basically riding from Austin to San Marcos and back). I also had never biked more than 30 miles.

It was really a pleasant experience overall. The weather was superb and the terrain very do-able. The wind could have easily made this ride difficult, but there were only a couple times the wind blew hard enough to challenge us (er, me). We didn't take a break until the turn-around point in San Marcos. We all visited the restroom of the Sac-n-Pac and ate an energy bar. Between miles 34-40 I was really struggling. It was mostly mental though. My right knee smarted, my neck, arms, and hands hurt, and I felt like the other 3 riders were going so fast and riding with ease. I was grateful when Sarah (aka, SpeedRacer) pulled into a convenience store for a potty break at mile 40. It was just the boost I needed. I just needed off the bike for a few minutes. I stretched my arms, neck, legs, and hands. The last 10 miles were enjoyable, so I have faith that I'll get through the MS 150 knowing that I can get off my bike at the frequent stops. When we finished the ride, Lynette said, "Okay now we eat lunch and then get back on the bike for another 50 miles." She was referring to what will happen on Day 1 of the MS 150. Gulp.

I did not attend Gazelle class yesterday b/c T-ball has started up again. Joshua is a Met again, and their first game was last night. He did great. He played 3rd base the first inning and made the throw to 1st a couple of times. He had 2 RBI singles and one awesome 3 RBI triple. He got a new bat, and I think it's making a big difference.

I've just finished a good book, and I recommend it: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (yes I can take a break from The Complete Jane Austen, lol).

How I stunned myself silent

I should write about my tempo run tonight, but that can wait. I want to share something that happened Sunday while driving in the car with my family.

My sister and I have been planning a trip to Longview, Texas to visit our grandmother's old house and the places she took us when we'd visit her there. She died when I was 16, so it's been many, many years since my sister and I were there.

My Granny had a small 2 bedroom house on Mobberly Street. Right next door was a convenience store, and we'd always sneak over there to buy candy (of course to do that meant sneaking into Granny's wallet). Across the street was a Dairy Queen (I think). It actually may have been a few different restaurants, but we'd go there every so often. Her back yard was big, and she had a garden in the far back. We'd help her out there every now and then. Her house had a certain smell, and to this day, natural gas will pop up vivid memories of her house since she had those gas heaters that need to be lit. Gosh, how dangerous those things are/were.

She'd take us to a trail that was beautiful with big trees and red dirt. She would pack homemade biscuits filled with butter and jelly, and we'd walk along the trail and explore. She took us to Pancho's which we thought was the greatest place on earth with it's little Mexican flag on the tables that we'd fight over raising. And somewhere in Longview is a swimming pool that we'd go to during the summers.

Those are just a few of the places and memories - some of the main ones my sister and I mentioned and wanted to see or find. Naturally, we want to visit her grave, which is outside of Longview somewhere.

So, Sunday in the car, I was telling David and the boys all about these places and my Granny. I was so involved in the memories and telling them about this and that, and I realized I didn't know where any of these places were within Longview. How would we even find the trail? Was is a huge city park? Was it some trail outside of Longview? I thought to myself, Well, Dad can show us where all the places are. I actually thought it as though he would draw a map or circle spots on a printed map. The problem with this thought is that my father died over 12 years ago.

It sucked my breath clean out of me when I realized what I had done. I haven't "forgotten" my father was dead in about 12 years. I don't know what came over me, why I thought of him as living and able to map out our trip for us. It wasn't that I was asking him for guidance "from above." I was clearly thinking that he'd help the same way David or my mother would help us map the trip.

Of course it upset me. I told David and the boys and then sat stunned wondering why my brain would trick me in such a cruel way.

So, we may still go to Longview over part of Spring Break. If not, we are hoping for late April. I know we will be shocked to see her house as it was already in a very bad part of town. I hope we can find the trail. I don't so much care about the Pancho's or pool. I want to drive there the same way we always drove there so I can see the same small towns and grain silos. I know we'll find her grave and put some much deserved fresh flowers out for her. She taught me to crochet. She sewed me so many dresses and clothes. She crocheted sweaters, jackets, scarves, hats, and blankets for us. She quilted for us. She saved her meager social security to give us presents at Christmas and birthday. She always gave me those soft peppermint sticks that melt in your mouth because she knew I loved them. She taught us card games like Rummy and domino games and a board game with marbles called Wahoo. And she cooked really amazing country suppers. I loved looking through her costume jewelry and playing dress up with it and her scarves and shawls. I loved looking through her dresser drawers in her sewing room because that is where she kept her bolts of fabric. I didn't show her that I loved her when I was a bratty teenager, and I'm sorry for it. I know she knows I loved her, but I wish I'd been a better kid. I wish I'd been one of those kids that respects and loves her elders even if it's not cool or the elders seem so stupid and irritating.

She's the only person who was allowed (and still is allowed) to call me Jessie.

Butterflies

Would you spend $75 on a butterfly? Probably not, but I did. I could have bought the $180 butterfly or the $146 butterfly, but I won't spend that much on a butterfly. That $75 was some of the best money I've ever spent. Here's a picture of my butterfly:


Yes, yes, it's a bike saddle. Mine actually looks slightly different, but oh, it feels so good. I can't even express how much happier I am with this saddle than my old one (which came standard on my bike). I mean, I can express it, but I'm going to spare you talk of how awesome this women's specific saddle is for specific women's anatomy. Anyway, if you are a woman and have a bike and don't have a Terry Butterfly saddle, go get one! Thanks to Carol for telling me to buy a butterfly. :-)

Friday I ran 7 miles around my 'hood. It was a little rough, but I finished strong. I think it was just a bit boring for the last 4 miles. The first 3 I ran as Elijah and Joshua biked. I'm happy to get a decent long run in...first one since 3M.

Saturday was Marathon Kids, and Elijah and Joshua finished their marathons. Saturday is also the day I bought my saddle, and the day Sarah saved me from buying new bike shoes and pedals that I don't really need. I did see the loveliest turquoise bike jersey at Jack and Adam's. I'll be sporting that and a new helmet very soon. Saturday we also attended the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet for Pack 395. Elijah earned his Wolf Badge, and he is now a Bear rank. Go Elijah!

Sunday, I biked 30 miles. I was set to bike with Sarah and Michelle, another woman from our St. David's MS150 team, but Sarah was suffering from food poisoning. I didn't get the message until too late, so I wasn't able to coordinate with Michelle. Fortunately, David was able to ride with me.

It was so hard at times. The wind was horrible, and I was so happy to hear David agree (as did another cyclist). We rode from our house through the neighborhood and over to the Mopac loop. We were planning to do that loop twice, but the wind just wore me down. We ended up doing two Veloway laps instead of the 2nd Mopac lap.

On the second lap, I got a flat. Boo! On the bright side, I really needed to practice changing a flat by myself. So, okay, David helped, and in fact, I wouldn't have been able to even loosen the knob thing that keeps the wheel on. He was barely able to loosen it. I did do a lot of the work myself, and I think next time, I might be able to change it on my own.

We finished back through the neighborhood. David finished with 26 miles, and I rode around for another 4 miles. Surprisingly, my legs weren't sore after that ride. I did wake up with sore shoulders and neck.

Today I did 3 very easy mile repeats at Gazelles. I didn't want another hard work-out after my long run and bike this weekend.

Sorry this is a little boring. I have nothing to report on the sewing front. I meant to sew some this weekend, but we were busy, busy, busy. That's likely to remain the status quo as T-ball is back in session and DV is training for the Cap 10K. Sometime soon I should start fundraising for the MS150.

Blah, blah, blah

Yowsers, I didn't realize it had been so long since I wrote. Something in our fridge stinks, and yet I can't find the source due to nasal congestion. I'm not congested enough to not smell it though. Oh, the irony.

No sewing whatsoever has been done since my last report. I think Joshua has actually forgotten about it, but we have a 3-day weekend which will include finishing that robe. I need to add the sleeves, hem everything, and add a fastener at the neck. Sounds simple, but I'm sure it will vex me.

Running...no good long run to mention. My family did the Cupid's Chase 6K a couple of weeks ago. David blogged about it a bit. I ran with Elijah and Joshua. They were amazing and finished the entire 3.7 miles. As DV said, 3.7 miles is a long way for a 6 and 8-year-old.

The next weekend I meant to do a long run, but David ran early and I volunteered at the Marathon Expo. Marathon morning I was at the Gazelle Water Stop and then went to the finish to cheer. Allison and I ran from the finish to mile 23.5 where we found Staley. We ran in with him, so I am counting that 4-5 miles as my long run (weak, I know). I was supposed to bike last weekend as well, but I didn't. Tsk, tsk.

My routine that I am trying to stick to is as follows:

MW - Gazelles
T/Th - stationary bike at the gym (at least one of these days)
F - running or off
Sa - long run or bike
Su - long run or bike

Monday Gazelles was hills, and I felt rather tired. Tuesday I biked for an hour at the gym. My right knee keeps bothering me, so I really should tend to it. It's just not hurting enough to force me to pay attention. Wednesday was fartlek, and I felt tired and heavy. I have felt that way since 3M, and I guess adding in biking is the cause. Thursday was too busy to do anything, and with my allergies, it felt nice to take a day off.

Today I'm hoping to do my long run, so I can sleep in tomorrow before Marathon Kids. If for some reason I don't run tonight, then I will meet my friends at 7am for a 7 mile run. Sunday, Sarah is coming here, and we'll bike 25-30 miles from the house down to the Mopac loop and Veloway. It won't be the flashiest ride, but we need the miles. I'm looking forward to the ride b/c I should have a new seat and shoes, as Sarah and I are shopping tomorrow. Finally, my butt might have some relief.

David found a funny blog yesterday, and I stayed up late reading many of the posts. Take a peek at it, if you are so inclined.

Oh, David also found this fabulous photo of me and Joshua from the Cupid's Chase 6K (did I mention David won 1st in his age group and 10th overall?? And that was after being really, really, REALLY sick for 2 weeks). If my eyes aren't closed in a photo then David's eyes are closed. We make quite the pair.

No clever, witty anecdotes this time

Running, sewing, Valentine's Day brouhaha...irritating manufactured holiday.

I've got allergies (who doesn't in Austin, Texas?).

I've felt puny all week, but I toughed it out and went to class Monday for 800s at Zilker. Warmed up and cooled down to and from Runtex so proly got 4 miles or so total. I was supposed to do 4 800s, but Coach said we could cut it short since dusk was upon us. I felt like a wimp for quitting and actually started to go do my 4th one, but my running partners for the day told me we'd get a good run in on the way back to Runtex.

Tuesday - puny again but super-motivated and energetic after school. I must have inhaled some speed on the way home as I was cooking and doing laundry and cracking the whip on the boys. We went to the gym where I biked for 45 minutes and then watched them at Hoop It Up. Back home for more speed-induced craziness of more cooking, cleaning, boy-tending, Evite-making, and Valentine party-prep finishing. One would not have known I didn't feel superb.

Wednesday - Exhausting day at preschool. Party days generally are. Still feel puny. How many times can I say puny in one post? It's just the best way to describe me thus far this week. I read and slept during Elijah's piano lesson when I should have been looking for a new bike seat and shoes. I really didn't want to go to class tonight, but I did. I know that sometimes running makes me feel better when I'm sort of sickly. I was dreading 400s even though it's my favorite work-out. I didn't know if I had it in me today to do 10 fast repeats. Like Andre, I thought I'd at least show up a do a bit of the workout. I had to show up today because Sarah was returning after a week and a half absence. Turns out there was a Lacrosse game on the track field, so Bernard sent us to do Fartlek. My group did the 4-mile loop, and it was a great work out.

Fyi, the Congolese girls need some running clothes. If you want to get them something or donate, let me know. Meg is going to find out sizes. I just don't like seeing them in the same hand-me-down clothes for running - and they aren't even running clothes (or in Bijou's case, exercise clothes). They are such great girls, and a new pair of running shorts will thrill them.

I had some clever and witty anecdotes to share, but I'm too tired to remember them right now.

For those interested...I'm still sewing the Jedi Robe. I made even more stupid errors, but I've fixed them all. I haven't sewn since Saturday, and Joshua didn't pester about it until today. If I don't finish it soon, it's going to become an Albatross.

Smokin'

I haven't felt like writing, which is odd after a race in which I, for the first time ever, paced myself. I mean, I've had other races where I "paced" myself at basically my slow long-run pace. I've done triathlons where I ran the run portion in what I expected to run. I have never run a race like I did 3M. I did it by myself (my pacer fell ill), and I did it 2 minutes faster than my goal.

But I just didn't want to blog this week. Elation lasted into Monday, and still I had no desire to blog. Every time I thought about this blog, I got itchy and irritated. Sunday afternoon I was excited to list my split times and talk about the race. I will write about it later to preserve my memories before they fade into grocery store runs, school activities, spelling words, 100th day projects, Jane Austen novels, appointments for this and that, flu virus, fever virus...

Fevers. Maybe my peevishness sprouted from my children and David being very sick for days and days. Somehow, I escaped it. I erected a 3M shield to block any germs or negative thoughts of germs and said the shield could collapse at noon on Sunday. Well, shields are holding even through a week of serious illness at the preschool I work at. Children and teachers galore are out sick with Type A Flu (of course the flu that can get you even if you got the flu shot). In fact, our school is closed today due to so many teachers having the flu. There simply aren't enough of us healthy to fill the classrooms. Somehow, my shields are still holding. I wonder if vertigo sends out a barrier bubble or something?

So my kids were sick. David was really sick. I've never seen him that sick. It was very strange going to a race and never once seeing him or my kids. I knew I wouldn't see them, but it was still odd. There was no one to take a picture of me on the course (other than crappy Sport-Photo people). The only candid shots I have are the ones Sundeep took of me, Gayatri and Barb before and after the race. Ah, but after seeing the Sport-Photo ones, I probably don't want a candid shot afterall.

Fevers are gone. Family is healthy...mostly. I'm not sure David is healthy, but he's getting there. I think Familyvance is looking forward to Spring. Blessed Texas is sure to deliver.

Smoking. I have been wanting to write about smoking. I grew up with parents who smoked. In fact, my mom may have smoked while pregnant. I disliked the smoke growing up, but I've grown to despise it. I can smell cigarette smoke a mile away. I smell it in my car if the person driving in front of me is smoking. That startles me as I'm wondering where it's coming from. I hate going to my mom's house now even though she has tried so very hard to cut back on smoking in the house (and cut back in general). The smoke hangs on everything. Everything reeks of old, dank smoke. If you walk in her house even for a few minutes, your hair and clothes will smell like smoke - and she doesn't even have to be smoking at the time.

I need to say here that she has gone to great lengths to remedy that b/c Familyvance stopped visiting. She washed curtains and smoked outside, etc. It's much better now, honestly. Although, I still can't stand the smoke.

Gayatri and I smelled smoke on the trail Wednesday during our 4-mile easy-effort tempo (or recovery run, whatever you want to call it). I looked everywhere, craning to see who the f-dash-dash-dash was smoking on the hike-and-bike trail. I could not see the person, so I don't know how far away the culprit was. It fired up my peevishness, and I ranted for a good half-mile about smoking. Poor Gayatri.

Here's an interesting thing I heard Dr. Oz of Oprah fame say the other day: Children growing up with smokers basically are "smoking" 1 in every 4 cigarettes their parents smoke. Hmm...if that is true, I grew up "smoking" since I was born - maybe 1/2 a pack a day? Isn't that a staggering statistic? I don't know how he got that number. We've always heard that second-hand smoke is horrible, and I've inhaled tons of it.

I've often wondered why I have trouble breathing when I run "fast." Sometimes it's due to being out-of-shape. Other times perhaps I'm pushing too much. But over time, it's consistent. No matter how much I've been running and training and doing speed-work, I still have trouble breathing...more so than it seems my counterparts. I watch runners excel doing the same amount of running that I do. I know genetics plays a huge role, and I know I'm not genetically inclined to be a runner (made for comfort!). I just wonder if all that smoke for 18+ years affected me. I know really fast runners who grew up with smokers, too. So who knows.

I look forward to the day when smokeless cigarettes are invented. If people want to smoke, good for them. I just don't want to smoke with them.

Foiled for 3M?

Waagghh! David is now sick with the virus my boys have/had. Elijah is well now. Joshua is on day 3 of his fever. Somehow, I haven't gotten it, and I'm hoping I don't until at least noon on Sunday. The real problem is that David was going to run with me, encourage me, keep me from slowing down (even though in the world of runners I already run super-slow), and try to get me to maintain a set pace for the entire run.

So now my strategy is under construction. I will have to do it on my own, which will be hard for someone who's only ever successfully paced herself for 3 miles. I don't quite know how to pace for 10 additional miles - at least not at the pace I want to run for the race.

I never ran track. I never ran cross country. My first running coach was Gilbert. Before that it was just me and some advice from friends who did run track or cross country. David has inspired me as he's improved so much and runs so well. I hope that inspiration can pull me along tomorrow morning since the fleshly David will more than likely be at home, sick in bed.

I've been a little sleep-deprived this week due to the illnesses, but I've tried to eat well and rest when possible. David let me sleep last night while he tended to Joshua (and was up most of the night, it seems). I still was awake b/c it seems, like most moms, I'm a light sleeper. I didn't have to get out of bed though which makes all the difference in getting back to sleep.

It will be an interesting 3M. I hope I'm 100% - no vertigo, no sleep deprivation, no fever...just ready to run the best I can. Oh wait, and have fun. Can't forget that.

Things I Learned Today

I cannot parallel park a car that has no power steering.

When my child is getting over a fever and wants to go to the grocery store with me, tell him no.

Getting up and moving seems to do better for vertigo than staying in bed and reading.

I still can't choose a proper pork roast.

I can buy an already-cooked honey roasted ham.

I don't like Wal-Mart even at 7:45am on a Wednesday.

Holmes nicknamed David "Varsity" which means I must be Elementary School PE, but she still insists I'm "JV."

Hot baths can actually be too hot, especially when your feet are really cold.

It's better to send your peevish spouse out for a run then have him cook the dinner.

Shape Magazine is full of "hot girls" according to one 6-year-old I know.

An imaginative 8-year-old I know created a Star Wars/Spongebob mix called Sponge Wars. He even rattled off character names.

Running in the cold weather with friends is something I look forward to doing.

Hearing Gilbert say "rowing" reminded me of the Chinese cooks sing "Fa la la la la" in A Christmas Story (Gilbert said "roaring").

400s is still my favorite work-out even though my knee smarted.

Some women have husbands that grab and grope them all the time, according to JB and Sandy in the morning.

I very well may not be prepping properly for the MS 150. I suppose I should do more biking and less running?

Dizzying Long Weekend

I've been battling vertigo all day. It was bothersome yesterday and less so on Saturday. Today has been rather uncomfortable. For those who don't know, vertigo isn't about heights. It's about the being dizzy (and thus, nauseous). My patience with this nuisance of a "disease" has grown thin.

All day I have had spouts of vertigo and nausea. I googled vertigo and found some exercises that are supposed to help for those with Benign Positional Vertigo (which is what I believe I have). David helped me with the exercises that consist of laying down, tilting your head and rolling your body and then sitting back up. We figured out it's my left ear that has the problem, but aye, those exercises were horrid in that they caused the vertigo and major nausea. I'm supposed to do them three times/day, and hopefully in 10 days (or less!), I'll be well. I'd like to think that I'll be feeling better before 10 days. I will do the exercises again tonight and hope for the best.

Now, running with vertigo is really interested. Saturday, my long run was a short 7 miles. Within 1/2 mile, I was spinning and had to stop and brace against a tree. Gayatri and Snowdene were with me and encouraged me to walk, but I wasn't going to let the vertigo win. I wanted to do this run and build confidence for 3M. I had a few more brief episodes of vertigo during the run, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

I ran a two mile warm-up, and then the next 3 miles I ran a target pace for the 3M half. I think that pace is the slowest I'd like to run b/c I really feel like I could run it faster. I just don't know how to run with pain (you know, the regular pain of running hard). I worry I'll give up and slow down, but I'm going to do my best to not let that happen. The final two miles were a nice slow jog with Gayatri and Snowdene. We finished with 4 strides, and then I got my IT band massaged (had to lay down on the table which brought on the vertigo). The masage gals told me not to ice an IT band but rather treat it with heat. Doh! I've been icing it all week, so now I'll switch to heat and won't feel so guilty about my hot bubble baths that feel so darn good after a long run in cold, cold weather.

Sunday we visited the Capital with Elijah's Cub Scout den. I haven't been in years and years, and it was a neat trip. I think the highlight for the boys was the cool water fountain out front (south side of the capital). Gaby introduced that fountain to me a couple of summers ago on a long run. The water wasn't cool or tasty then, but it was water. The weather was lovely, and I always forget how beautiful the capital grounds are. Very picturesque. In fact, a Mariachi band was getting photographed on the grounds with the capital dome in the background.

Today I suffered through trying to be productive with vertigo. I debated going to class. David told me my goal was to be healthy for next Sunday's race. On that advice, I chose to run for 30 minutes around my 'hood rather than drive down to Austin High. I got a few dizzy spells running, so it as probably wise not to drive, especially in rainy weather with slick roads. I tried to visualize the race next week, and so far, I still am optimistic.

Off to put a heat compress on my knee/leg and try to avoid getting dizzy. Thank goodness for a wonderful husband who is picking my boys up from the neighbors, going to the grocery store, and making dinner. Now if I could just get him to make dinner while wearing his baseball pants...

Made for Comfort

Aye, I started this post days ago...Elijah's birthday, in fact. Here's what I had:

I just registered for 3M a few minutes ago. For the girl who strongly dislikes road races, it is a gutsy move. Even gutsier, I'm trying to find someone (anyone?) who will pace me to a faster race than I would do alone. I'm optimistic right now and hope that holds for the next 2 weeks.

Saturday long run was a preview of the 3M course. We met a bunch of half-marathoners at Runtex and carpooled to Mario's Deli on Anderson Lane and Shoal Creek (mile 5 of the course).

And that's where I stopped. And honestly, would it really matter if I finished the post or just posted it as is?

Well, for the two people out there who actually read this (me being one of them, I think), I'll go ahead and do a quick finish of our Saturday long run and my week.

Saturday long run was a preview of the 3M course. We met a bunch of half-marathoners at Runtex and carpooled to Mario's Deli on Anderson Lane and Shoal Creek (mile 5 of the course). I rode with EEL, aka Fast Girls, and Gayatri. EEL is my new nickname for Elizabeth, Erin, and Leslie.

The run was fine (10 miles). Weather was awesome. The slants on the streets sucked, and I was trying to avoid getting my IT band all fired-up. Gayatri and I stuck together a ways behind The Fast Girls. We saw Tina as we approached Runtex and chatted for many minutes. It was good to see her (former 5k/10k Gazelle). She's training for AT&T and is running 3M. I'm hooking her up with EEL for our next long run and 3M b/c she's around their speed (a tad faster though). EEL will be good company for Tina, and Tina will be a good pacer for EEL.

I stepped in a dog poop on my way to stretching. So typical. It was all over one of my shoes and even in the little holes on the sole (the holes under the heel for cushion). That sort of spoiled my stretching, so I didn't get the best stretch. I did enjoy talking to Linda about boxing and running. I would so not be a good boxer. She said the funniest thing to me when I commented that a particular stretch felt like work. She said, "You are made for comfort." Oh, Linda. So wise you are. Anyway, if you are curious, the stretch I gritched about it is Warrior's Pose. My quads always complain during that one.

My knee acted up last weekend perhaps from the slants on the roads, the lack of good stretching, or just for grins. I have been icing it and my leg daily, and we'll see how it goes during tomorrow's 7 mile run.

Monday was Elijah's 8th birthday. No running class for me as we were celebrating the birth of the Sweet One.

Tuesday I rode a super fancy stationary bike at Fitness Life for an hour. My friend, Jennifer, freaked out when I put in 60 minutes. She was punching in 30 minutes thinking I'd be doing the same. Alas, I can't drive a car for the MS 150. After 10 minutes of cycling, my right knee was really hurting. I said some prayers and thought good things, and it went away. I need a good leg massage and lots of ice.

Wednesday was Fartlek. I enjoy fartlek though I wish we had done a trail loop instead of around Auditorium Shores. But we do what coach tells us to do, and I wanted to run with a group.

Oh, Wednesday and today I woke up with vertigo again. I took Thursday off to do some much needed stuff around our house. Does anyone else feel like exercising every day (especially for long periods of time) causes you to neglect serious parts of your life? I know that seems unorganized of me, but I work, I have children, I have a husband, I have chores, I have daily life, and if I spend 2 hours going to a workout, doing the workout, and coming home from the workout, it sucks up a huge chunk of time from other areas. So...Thursday I just couldn't do that again.

I hope to get in a 30 minute run tonight before tomorrow's 7 miles. I hope my knee holds out and the vertigo stays in the movies.

Btw, Jane Austen fans will be happy to know that the complete Jane Austen is airing on PBS each Sunday night. Last week was Persuasion. This week is Northanger Abbey. I am nothing short of giddy.

Sweet Ones

I so enjoy picking my children up from school, driving them home, eating a snack with them, and getting them started on homework. I so enjoy taking them to whatever activities they are doing (right now it's Hoop It Up at Fitness Life). Yesterday at 5pm as we walked into the basketball gym at FL, I thought about full-time working moms who probably weren't bringing their kids to Hoop It Up. Either that or they get to work at 7am and off at 4pm (my former life) and rush home to get them to some extra-curricular activity at 5pm. So...I lament my lack of salary but it's greatly compensated by my time with the Sweet Ones. In fact, I don't actually know how much money I'd need to earn to truly outweigh that lost time. Necessity rules though.

How fast can I recap my running? If I could run as fast as I type, I'd be so good. You should seriously see how fast I type. I'm fast. I promise.

When did I last post? Let me go see...

Okay, last Friday (1/4)...I don't remember at all what I did. Oh wait...I spent 8 hours on my feet at my preschool revamping my classroom and sparkling it up for 2008. That counts as my exercise for the day.

Saturday long run (1/5) - met all the girls for a 10-mile run - Gayatri, Erin, Elizabeth, Barb, Leslie, and I hope I didn't forget anyone. We split off into the Fast Girls (the two E's and L) and the Slower Girls (me, Barb, Gayatri). Our plan was to head down LAB and turn around at the water stop and somehow add 2 miles to get 10 - probably on the north side of the trail so we weren't tempted by mile 0.

I had a lot of phlegm and between mile 2-3 I got choked up, gagged, and heaved for a few seconds. It bothered me through about mile 5 and then settled down. It was disturbingly reminiscent of the Gazelle 10-miler (not snot but the wanting to hurl). We changed our course mid-way and us slower girls thought we'd get 9.5 miles by going to the Congress bridge and heading back to Runtex. We saw the Fast Girls right as we went under Congress and they were heading back from a jaunt further up the trail. Erin asked, "Are you going to go out a mile this way?" We were turning at Congress and they headed back to 1st street bridge. I was confused. Why did they add an extra mile? Were they trying to get 11 miles? Then my bubble burst. They had mentioned Congress bridge at the water stop when I was trying not to heave. If we ran to Congress and added a mile, we'd get 9.5 miles...not just to Congress would we get 9.5 miles. We were still confused so only added a mile on the south side of the trail rather than 1.5 miles. Oh well. We finished with 9.5 miles.

The highlight of this long run was going to breakfast at the Blue Dahlia Bistro after stretching with Gayatri, Elizabeth, and Leslie. Erin and Barb, I'm so sad you missed it! Next time, you are for sure joining us. It was splendid. We sat in their lovely garden and ate delicious frittata, salad, and breads and spreads (as advertised!). Oh, and they had English Breakfast tea. How dreamy. You simply must go there. It was one of those idyllic experiences that you can't create by force - they just happen upon you unexpectedly. I do hope other visits there are almost as enjoyable. We all agreed that it was a fabulous time, and we were reluctant to leave.

Sunday (1/6)- no workout

Monday (1/7) - circuit and core at Austin High. And yes, there were tons of new folks. the Monday PM class is officially huge now. It was good to see Holmes, whom I haven't seen since before the holidays. Hi Sarah! Love you!

Tuesday - (1/8) First day back to school! 25 minutes on the treadmill at lifetime fitness...was supposed to do 45-60 minutes on the bike during Hoop It Up but the Sweet Ones wanted me to watch them.

Cedar Wars

My family is in full-fledged Cedar Wars. Cedar always bothers David but not usually me. It's hitting me hard this year, and I've had congestion for over a month. Just one battle after another, it seems.

Funny thing is that we had a fire last night with wood I bought weeks and weeks ago. I swear that wood was cedar the way is burned my eyes and tingle my nose in a not-feel-good-tingly way. The force was strong with David last night, and he was able to get a good fire going for some marshmallow toasting. Joshie is funny. He loved toasting them but didn't want to eat any. "I don't like marshmallows," he said. David replied, "I don't like them either." Elijah and I of course do like them.

Monday I ran mile repeats around my 'hood. I have never done this workout, so I didn't know how to pace myself. It was getting rather chilly by the time I went out, and of course, I had lots of congestion. It was a good workout, but I cut it short by one repeat. I just couldn't do another with all my coughing and runny nose. Besides, I kept starting and finishing on my street where I saw my family and all the neighbors out playing touch football. I ran the first repeat too slow, the middle too fast, and the third was probably just right, but by that time, I was so pooped so it felt fast. I'll be happy to try them again sometime.

Tuesday we had a nice New Year's Day. I made my first home-made apple pie (semi-homemade, okay). I also prepared the New Year's dinner, and we entertained David's sister and mother. We aren't usually the ones doing the cooking and hosting, but as I was planning the meal that morning, I thought how silly it was to just have it for us 4 (especially when E and J wouldn't eat much of it). The experience was pleasant, and we should probably have people over for meals more often.

Yesterday I went to the 5:15pm class, which is my usual class. We did the 4-mile loop for Fartlek, and Starr and I ran together the whole way. Very few folks showed up, so I guess everyone is still on vacation or in vacation-mode. Gilbert promised us a whole slew of folks starting next Monday. I wonder how many will stick around through February and beyond?

I've got to dust off my bike and get moving on my MS150 training. I'm not worried or concerned at all about, but I need to get going so I am not dying when I do join us with some people for longer rides.

Fatty, flabby, lazy

Blah, blah, running, blah blah, long run.

Seriously now...

Christmas and the day after, I did not exercise anything other than my jaw and stomach. I actually was not well on the 26th and didn't get out of pj's until late, late in the day.

I made up for it Thursday by running a 3-mile loop in my 'hood with the boys on their bikes and David in tow. I finished in my fastest time, which was heart-warming since I was trying to run it at a comfortable pace that was ever-so-slightly difficult. I felt like a big chunk of flab running though, heavy with too much food and drink. I'm scared to weigh myself and confirm that I've gained a bunch of weight.

Friday we all went to Fitness Life, where I officially began my MS150 training. I rode a stationary bike for 20 minutes (hey, it's a start), and then did 20 minutes running on the treadmill followed by a 10 minute cool down walk. David was with me, and we both agreed that the treadmills are not accurate in min/mile. David thinks they are 30 seconds slow, which means you are running faster than they say. I confirmed this by pointing out that I had finished 2 miles in 20 minutes and yet I had not been set at pace that would allow that to happen.

Saturday was the freezing long run. I debated on wearing my pants, which aren't running tights but just the pants that match my running jacket. I figured I'd be fine and warm up so left without the pants. Mistake, mistake, mistake. Erin and I trailed Elizabeth and Leslie - story of my life. I got a cut on my leg somehow and didn't even know it because my legs were literally frozen.

I flagged Gilbert down on Exposition asking for him to get my pants and was told the sun was coming up and I would be fine. When we saw him several miles later at the water stop, I told him, "I still want my pants!" It was a fun run, and I was really trying to run a little faster. I don't know if I succeeded b/c my legs and feet were cold and I couldn't feel them.

I don't know how far we ran...supposedly 12.5 miles, but I am not sure that is right. It would be nice if that were true b/c it would mean I wasn't running super slow. I stayed for stretching in the aromatic annex building with Elizabeth as Erin went home. Leslie showed up a few minutes after us so stretched across the room from us.

You know something I love about Erin? She walks up some hills. I love it that it's not just whiny ol' me wanting to walk up hills every now and then. One hill, we both starting walking at the exact same time. How nice to be so in sync that we don't even have to ask, "Can we please walk for a few seconds?" or say "You go on ahead. I'm just going to walk for 20 seconds."

Today David is sick, so I did not go to any of the morning classes. I probably could have left the boys here with him, but that's not really fair to David when he's all pukey and unwell. I will take the boys with me to the gym, track, or Zilker later today. I really want to try mile repeats as Gilbert never lets our class do them. So per Erin, I'm going to tell Gilbert what I'm going to be running...a 3-mile tempo for one thing.

Happy New Year.

What's in a nickname?

I've been thinking about my dad a lot lately. I think about him almost every day; I would like to say confidently every day, but I'm not sure I can say that with my busy life and 12 years since he died. Naturally, I think of him more often during the holidays. His birthday is in October, the anniversary of his death in November, then Thanksgiving and Christmas, and on into New Year's and January which is the month of my parents' wedding anniversary.

I thought a lot about what my life would be like if he were still alive. I miss his food. He was a good cook and did all the cooking in our house. Even if I try to make something he made, it's just not the same. I want to make biscuits the way he made biscuits. I want to make pork roast and rice the way he made it. I can't even buy a pork roast. I can almost make a fried-bologna sandwich as good as him.

I wish David had met my dad. I wish he was here to play with my boys. He would have been a fabulous grandfather to them. He was a wonderful grandfather to my nieces. The perfect Papa - the kind that cooks for you, plays with you, takes you fun places, hugs and kisses you, teaches you all sorts of things, sneaks you a cookie or fudge, jokes with you, disciplines you, and makes you stand taller.

I think of him a lot when I'm running. I sometimes pretend he's running along side me, giving me encouragement and inspiration the way he would do if he were really here able to run with me or cheer for me. I hear him talk to me every now and then. Sometimes his words will filter through the noise of the world and give me wise instruction. I literally do hear him at times. His voice. His tone. The first time I heard it, there was no mistake. I couldn't pretend I had conjured it up. He told me to "get up and help your mother." Nothing profound. No secrets from the other side. Just what he'd say if he were here.

When I am short with someone, irritated and frustrated, I try to think of how quickly my father was taken from us. I immediately remember patience and love. My life is so crazy sometimes with so much that I must do and so much that I create for myself to do (why do I do that?). I try hard to enjoy my family and friends and try to tell them how much I care for them.

That is sometimes hard to do during the holidays when you've had too much family-time and nerves are frayed and tender, but I encourage everyone to know that you are not immune to bad things happening to you and yours. It's not always something that happens to other people. It really might be you or someone you love dealing with a traumatic event that swoops in unannounced, unwelcome, and unforgiving.

Btw, my dad called me Juice growing up. Just one of the reasons this blog is titled what it is!

"Quick" Recap

Keeping this short will be my goal this morning.

Monday a week ago - Meriden. Gilbert tried to say I asked for this workout, but I merely stated that our class was capable of doing this workout. 3 un-timed laps around and then the 5 sprints up the hill and 3 backward. Gilbert taught us the proper way to run downhill, and Elizabeth said she felt like a zombie holding her arms straight down. I was grateful we didn't time the laps (well, I didn't). I'm still not very confident on running fast on hills.

Tuesday a week ago - Christmas party at the preschool. Allergies and finally getting my voice back. Stress abounds at Christmas time!

Wednesday a week ago - Tempo again. I was late for a very legit reason that I can't
remember now (it had something to do with leaving David instructions for the store or whatnot). I warmed up for a mile and saw the scant few who showed up to class start their Tempo. I planned to try a 3-mile tempo, but Gilbert told me to do Fartlek until I met up with Starr. At that point, I was to turn around and run Tempo with her back to mile 0. It was a good workout. After finishing with Starr, I added another 1/2 mile to flesh out my workout.

I also had more Christmas parties - one at my preschool, Joshua's party, and Elijah's party. I am very grateful to have a job that allows me to attend my children's functions. I want to be involved until my boys just don't want me there anymore.

Thursday - last day of school and Christmas shopping with DV. We honestly have been so busy this is the first day we could get a chunk of shopping done. We hit some snags but also got lucky on some crucial wish-list items.

Friday - marathon shopping day with my friend, Jennifer. I'm not kidding. I was out from 10:30am - 7:30pm. Is this when everyone says, "I hate Christmas?" We were calm and patient during traffic jams, but the day wore on me.

Saturday long run - I met Erin at 6:30am for an easy 11-mile run. I debated taking a migraine pill before the start and even thought of packing it with my Clif bloks. Laura and another woman (doh, forgot her name) met us as well, and we started down the trail for Scenic loop. Erin and I decided we would stay on the trail, so we bid farewell to Laura at the Mopac water. It really wasn't a horrible run, but I whined a bit here and there. Running with Erin was most enjoyable, and we had fun wishing everyone "Good Morning" from mile 8-10 just to see how many would reply back. Erin thinks more people replied b/c I have blond hair and "everyone is friendlier to blonds." Huh. We tested it out, and almost everyone replied back. Our next test is to have Erin run 30 meters in front of me with both of us greeting each passerby. We'll see if they ignore her and say hello to me.

I think we ended up with 10.25 - 10.5 with starting at Runtex and finishing at the water stop. Erin had to leave, but I stayed for stretching in the Annex. Nice enclosed shelter from rain or cold temps, but I must say I did not enjoy the aroma that settled around our shoulders as the stretching session went on.

Oh, I also locked the key in the van. David and the boys had to come rescue me. David was fine with it as he just stayed for his run, and the boys were okay with it b/c they got a breakfast taco and chocolate milk out of the deal.

More shopping Saturday. Dinner at El Rey to see the Cowboys game. Elijah falls asleep on an empty booth bench. Forshadowing...

Sunday 1am - Elijah throws up everywhere. He's on the top bunk, so I'm not kidding when I say it was everywhere - the top bunk, the rails, the bottom bunk, and much of the floor. David and I clean up as much as possible. Joshua sleeps through it all, including David moving him to the other bedroom.

Sunday - Elijah doesn't throw up again, so we think it's one of those one-time deals. We go to church and lunch. He's a little off but we know he's tired from being awake during the middle of the night. We head to the movies later in the afternoon. Joshua and I go to Enchanted while Elijah and Dv go to National Treasure. After our movie is over I check my phone and see a text message from David, "E puked." Poor Elijah. Poor David. They saw none of the movie. David drove Elijah home to wait for our movie to end. Elijah fell asleep instantly in the car. Poor kid. I talked to the employees and got Dv and Elijah movie passes.

Monday - Christmas Eve. Went to the 8:30am Gazelle class of Circuit. It was a very chilly morning. There was a moment I was standing in the sun in between medicine ball reps with Minnie. The sun was warm in the crisp, blue sky, and the frost was melting on the grass in little shimmering droplets. Minnie asked me what I was thinking of and I told her "how nice it is to be standing in the warm sun."

I had to leave class early to get home and dressed to head out to see my family in Georgetown. I really enjoyed the day. We took our keyboard, and Elijah performed a mini-recital. Everyone then took turns playing what they know and singing and just being silly. That carefree silliness is one thing I most enjoy about my family.

We had a nice Christmas Eve dinner with David's mom, and a pleasant Christmas Day. My boys were happy with their gifts. David and I agreed that next year we are taking a trip in lieu of Christmas shopping, Christmas gifts, Christmas brooh-ha-ha.

One last thing about the cemetery trip with my mom and sister on Christmas Eve. We went to my dad's grave, but the fun and interesting part was my sister and I looking at old tombstones. It was fascinating. The oldest one we found in the short time there was born 1811, almost 200 years ago. We both wanted to know about the people and their stories...especially the family plots. We saw a soldier from the Spanish-American War - 1st Texas Calvary. Uh, when was that war? It makes me brush up on some history!

Fast Times through Osmosis?

Catching up, huh? Story of my life.

Monday I missed workout so that I could run my long run that I never did it during our White Rock weekend. It was 7 miles around my 'hood. I really wanted to do the same pace as my last 7-mile solo run. The air was cool and damp, and I enjoyed a route that I haven't done in quite a while. My final time was just under 1:15, which is a tad faster than the last run. Woo hoo! These times give me confidence that I can run faster. Maybe I'm not getting slower (but the stupider is still up in the air, lol).

One splendid thing about missing class is that I finished my run at 6pm and came home to my family. We sat on the couch together and scoured an I-Spy book until David declared hunger. I offered to make breakfast for dinner, but he wanted to eat out. What the Sub-3 Man wants, he gets. It didn't feel like a Monday; it felt like a holiday family-night. Our dinner out was cozy and so relaxing - one of those family times when I literally feel flutters in my chest at how blessed I am.

Tuesday I didn't run. I don't remember why I didn't run or go to they gym. It was my last ACC class. I went to get my final grade with the boys in tow (David was at Fitness Life alternating between the lap pool and hot tub). I took them to the store with me and vowed to never take them to the store with me again. They were actually well-behaved, but I was tired and irritable. I'm such a grouch sometimes. Are you ever mean and can't stop yourself from being mean? Possibly this is the day I started not feeling well...not sure if it is allergies or what.

Wednesday was Tempo, but Holmes called me and asked if I was going to class in the cold rain. Yup, I replied. I hadn't been home yet, and we were just leaving piano lessons at 4:15pm. We drive in traffic, and Holmes calls again. "Is it pouring rain down there like it is here?" she questions. We talk and debate. I don't feel well, and I really do not want to run in rain and cold. I call Gilbert and get his voice mail, so back on the phone with Sarah, she tells me she's not going to class. I tell her about Thursday PM group, and she's going to run then.

I continue on through traffic still debating what to do. Gayatri isn't going to class, and I can predict that many will skip due to the weather. I honestly didn't even mind that it was Tempo, but I could not bear being cold after the run, driving home wet and cold, and then being cold the rest of the night. Gilbert calls me back at 4:40pm when we are pulling in the garage. He ribs me for trying to ditch out, but then tells me to not come because I'll never make it in time through traffic.

Still, I debate. I lament to David. I check the forum. It's 5pm, and I'm still thinking I could get my clothes on and try to get down there. If only I could beam directly home after the run. Come on, Science, can't we develop a teleportation system yet?

So, Sarah and I meet for Thursday's class. I've never attended a Tues/Thurs class, morning or evening. Aren't those classes full of fast people? Yup. We warm up after the group as Sarah needed to change clothes. We start our Tempo after the group as Sarah needed to visit the ladies' room before starting Tempo. Hah, blaming it all on Sarah, but it's true! My goal was to not let any 3 or 4-mile tempo runners pass me, but since they started several minutes before us, that was not going to happen.

We started out with Jennifer, who also skipped Wednesday to run in better weather. I had no real plan and honestly hadn't over-thought it like I always do. After the first 400m though, which was full of chatting, I sped up. Our last tempo, we talked the whole first mile, and ended up going slower than I'd like to go. I didn't look at my watch and chose not to hit the lap button at the 1/2 mile (I sometimes like to see my 1/2 mile splits to break it into 4 parts). I was running at a good pace that wasn't hard but was faster than...what? I don't even really know what to say it's faster than b/c it was surely faster than my long run pace.

I was in front of Sarah and Jennifer but not by much. I hit my lap button at the mile turn around, but I didn't look. I didn't want that number to affect anything about the rest of my run. I secretly hoped for a miracle pace, but I quickly settled on it being probably around a 10 minute pace. Anyway, I wasn't breathing hard enough for it to be a miracle pace.

I thought I was slowing down on the mile back. I tried not to let that happen. I thought of David's marathon, and how he ran 24.2 additional miles than I was doing. Good grief there is no reason for me to even wince let alone complain about this tempo run. After the half-mile marker, I was waiting for the sound of fast feet approaching, knowing that it was surely coming.

Fletcher passed me before the 1/4 mile marker. He was really breathing hard. Another Gazelle passed and then Michelle passed. All three were huffing and puffing and pushing it so hard. I was clearly not pushing myself as hard as they were pushing themselves. I had sped up a bit, but I wasn't ready for my final sprint. I also do not want to do a tempo pace that I can't maintain for a 5K.

Still, seeing them running anaerobically at that point did make me pick it up. I finished and was happy to see my final time of 19:15. That is my PR. I know eons ago I did 18:40 or something, but I have never come close to that again. That was a weird day that I was trying to keep up with a friend, so I honestly don't count it. Now 19:15 is my PR, and I felt good knowing that if I had pushed, I could have gone faster. Fast enough to do sub-19? I don't know. Probably, but I'm not sure I should do that just yet. I'd rather do it and it not all be anaerobic. My split times were 9:41 and 9:34 (rounded up), so my first mile was fast. I even managed a negative split despite going faster on my first mile. Also, Sarah ran her first sub-20 tempo!! She ran 19:35 (I think). Go Sarah! She'll soon be faster than me, and I'll be chasing her. :o)

Friday I felt horribly sick with allergies and then my stomach started hurting. I was actually doubled-over in pain Friday night. David got my running stuff together for me and printed the map of the route. He questioned how I was going to run if I couldn't stand. If I was fine in the morning, then I'd go run. If not, then no running.

My stomach felt okay until I ate my granola bar on the way to meet Gayatri and Barb. I hoped I'd be fine. Within the first 1/2 mile, my stomach really hurt. It slowly went away though, so I thought I was going to survive the long run. The pain and discomfort kept coming back though. I didn't want to stop when we ran past Runtex, but I wisely did. My stomach never felt right all day. I'm not sure what is causing it, and it's Sunday morning now and still bothering me.

I'm hoping to suffer through at least 5-7 miles today before the Gazelle party tonight. Oh, and I have not done one single bit of Christmas shopping. Yikes!

White Rock Traffic Woes

I strongly recommend not running on a stomach-ache. Owww. I have no real idea what my problem is, but I've just tried to eat a steaming bowl of oatmeal only to receive painful knots in my stomach with each bite.

This morning I met Barb and Gayatri for our long run of 13 (possibly 14) miles. I ditched out after 5 rather painful miles thanks to intense pain in my abdomen. I hope they finished happy and strong. Possibly I will run again tomorrow morning...doubtfully will I do 13 alone. I will for sure do 7 or 8 and will have a goal of 10. 10 alone is doable. Let's hope the stomach cooperates.

I want to spend a moment on my Dallas White Rock experience. No, I did not run the marathon, the half, or even the relay. I was there to support David at his first marathon. Elizabeth A. and I planned to drive together with our kids (4 total, 2 each) to track our husbands. I was worried about the unfamiliar roads, but I was optimistic after driving the course on Saturday.

Sunday the boys and I had room service breakfast after David left for the start. Elizabeth called to say their breakfast was late, so we moved our meeting time back 15 mins to 7:45am. We met and stood in the valet line for a few minutes, and then again for at least 10 minutes while they searched for Elizabeth's car keys. We finally get both vehicles up and got the car seats from Elizabeth's car. They circle my van for some reason, so we have to wait even longer as the van inches its way back to the front of the hotel. Finally, we have the seats in the car and are on our way. I back into a cement wall (oops) and take a wrong turn to get on I-35 which sends up back around the block of the hotel. Well, now we surely won't be seeing our men at mile 3 or 4. On to mile 8.5 we go.

I-35 and the Dallas North Tollway were smooth sailing. Mockingbird lane was not. It was slow, neighborhood speeds, and then the road was abruptly closed for major repairs. We took the detour, and I call our friends (and former Gazelles) who are at mile 8.5. Somewhere along here I get a text message that David has crossed the mile 5 mat. Uh, we better hurry up. I call BJ and Sarah back and let them know I won't be getting there in time. BJ kindly runs to his house (just right there) and gets a goo for David as I'm supposed to hand David a goo at this stop. Just a few minutes later, BJ calls to say David went by. I'm frustrated and sad...pretty darn sad as I missed him after promising that I'd be at that location. Our plan now is to get there to see Elizabeth's David run by. Just 2-3 minutes later, BJ calls again to say that her David ran by. We are parked now and go ahead and walk to the corner to greet BJ and Sarah. A quick hello and good-bye and retrieving of David's gloves, and we are headed back to the van for the next stop.

I was thinking we'd try for mile 12 or 13, but after missing them once, we decide to shoot for a later mile. BJ wisely tells us to take a different road than Mockingbird to get to Northwest Hwy. Smooth sailing again, and we feel like we are making some progress. Elizabeth says around this time, "It's sad that they can run faster than we can drive to see them." Quite true. I wish knew shortcuts and such, because I would have much preferred seeing them more times.

We drive along side the 3:10 pace group along Northwest Hwy. Unbeknownst to us, David A. was probably with that group at that time. We find a great spot on Buckner to see our boys. Thank goodness for driving the course the day before as I had seen a spot along that road where the White Rock trail comes very close to the street. We pull over there and wait. Turns out we were just meters from the mile 16 marker and we had a great view as they runners came around a corner and we could see them jogging towards us for a good 200-300 meters. When I saw David's red socks, I really started freaking out. I was elated to finally see him. I didn't plan to run with him, but I wanted to make the most of every second. I ran down toward him and ran with him a while. He was so strong and looked great. We waited a few more minutes for David A. to come by. He was all smiles and looked great right in with the 3:10 pace group.

Back to the car, and at this point we are changing our plans to be at mile 19 or 20 and move it along to mile 21 or later. There's part of the run where the runners come off the White Rock trail and run on Buckner for a bit. As we were driving, I mentioned how great it would be if David just happened to be at that point. I didn't know what mile that was, but God was good to me that day and there David was running as we approached that section. I slowed to a crawl, and we drove along side him for as long as possible. Elizabeth took the only photo/video of him that I was to get that entire race. I'm grateful we even got that (the battery was low and would not turn on at mile 16 and then later at mile 21).

We found a spot to stop at the mile 21 marker. The air was really wet and cold at this point, and the four kids were real champs with all the driving and in-and-out of the car and waiting around. However, they were getting tired of it, and Joshua naturally let me know about it. David looked strong still but less alert at mile 21. I again rain alongside him and told him, "Don't quit! You can do it! Don't quit! I love you!" At the time, I thought he heard me, but later he said he didn't remember what I said (but he did remember us being there). Joshua is cold, so I take my boys back to the car while Elizabeth waits for her David to come by.

We plan to go to mile 24 but switch to mile 25 to be sure to see them run by. Traffic snarls us. We don't know where we are or how to get around, so we sit as the minutes tick by. My phone beeps the message that David has finished. We celebrate his sub-3 time, but my heart hurts as he is there all alone while we sit in traffic. I finally go the wrong way on a one-way street, and we head back to the hotel.

At the hotel, we debate what to do. The men think we are meeting them at the doors of the American Airlines Center, but the shuttle apparently won't take us down there. Do we wait at the hotel? Elizabeth suggests a cab, so we head down in the now very cold air in the hopes of seeing our marathon finishers. What a mess. People everywhere. I'm amazed yet at how well our kids did during all of this.

We stand in the long line to get into the AAC, and then wait by the door. Hordes of people are crowded in that place, and I wonder where sweet David could be. We did briefly walk in to the arena area only to see it packed with people. I think, "There's no way David is in here with all these people." We wait and wait. We wonder why they haven't called. It's going on 12:30pm now...1.5 hours after David finished the race. Where are they? The boys and I walk the hall looking while Elizabeth waits by the doors. Her David calls finally from the hotel, so we are head back to the hotel. I still wonder why my David hasn't called as surely he's at the hotel, too?

Luckily, we get on a shuttle back to the Hyatt. The kids are happy with their cab ride and now bus ride. Hey, at least they got something out of it. Into the hotel we go and see crowds waiting for the elevators. Elizabeth leads us to another set of elevators, and we are riding up when my phone rings. There's my David finally. He's in the hotel lobby. Doh! He's been waiting as he can't get in the room.

I wait by the elevator doors for him, and I'm so happy when I finally see him. I practically scream, "You did it!" He's genuinely happy to see me, too. The elevator doors are still open as we hug each other, and the elevator riders tilt their heads and sigh at our sweet embrace. I think some thought I was commenting on his completing the marathon. Maybe one or two saw his Top 100 hat though and knew I meant far more.

I really did mean more than sub-3 and doing his first marathon. I'm so proud of him and overjoyed for him. He's been an inspiration to me for many, many years, but now it transcends inspiration. I've always listed him as one of my heroes on those silly "all about me" questionnaires. I always meant it in the "of course my husband is my hero because I love him and he's great and blah blah blah" sort of ways. Now I mean it in such a different way...closer to a real hero sort of way. When I run now, I will think of him pushing through those tough miles to reach his goal. Never quitting. Never faltering. Pushing every fiber in his being to get there. I want to be able to do that someday.

Ah, the heartbreak though of hearing of his aloneness after the race. Cruel to me to not be there to celebrate with him. Cruel that he only briefly saw one other Gazelle post-race. Just all together not right that I didn't see him until 2 hours after his finish - and back at the hotel at that.

Lesson learned is to ditch my car and take a bike. That, of course, means that I must also leave my kids behind. I don't know that they so much care. I don't even think they truly realize how far their dad ran or how fast he ran it. It's just another race to them - just a boring 3-hour drive away this time. But boy, those kids were so sweet and good. Elizabeth's kids were angels. Who would imagine a 1 and 3-year-old would never cry once during our entire morning. The only complaint from any of them was Joshua wanting to go back to hotel. Good kids, I tell ya, good kids.

You gotta have Faith

Monday was circuit. I felt a little sick from allergies (I suppose?), but I made it out there anyway. Sarah complimented my super straight hair. Thank you cool front with low humidity! Thank you, Sarah, for noticing. Does that mean my normal attempts at straightening my hair are awful? Actually, don't answer that. I can imagine since I usually give up on getting all of the back straight.

Tuesday was hopefully going to be my last ACC class, but nooooooooo...I have to come next week to get my final grade and a summary of the class. So, if I don't go, what is my instructor going to do? I already have almost a 100 in that class. Thorn in my side! Thorn in my side!

Wednesday was stressful because my preschool is getting observed for a coveted 4-star rating. We've worked really hard for it since last spring. I know most folks don't give preschools much thought, but our school was already a good school. Now I can honestly say it is a great school. The changes are simply amazing. Anyway, they didn't observe me on Wednesday, but I still had to be on my toes.

Wednesday night was 400s. I was tired and the allergies were in full force. I was also a tad on the whiny side, and I pleaded with Gilbert to let us do the ladder workout instead of 400s. I love 400s, but I just didn't feel I could muster the energy. Why do I even bother asking Gilbert to change the workout? He never does, and he just makes me work harder.

Last time we did 400s, Sarah, Starr and I did 15 at comfortable paces. Again, Sarah, Starr and I were running together, but this time Coach had us doing 10 fast 400s. We started out at 2:20 for the first 5. Shhh...don't ever tell Gilbert, but that is easy for me. I am Ms. Conserve Energy, so I'm always wanting to start out slow so that I have something left for later. Reps 6-8 were at 2:10, while 9 and 10 were to be run anaerobically. We had some trouble hitting our pace, so the first 3 were fast. Reps 4 and 5 were on target. Reps 6-8...I think we were fairly close to 2:10...maybe a second slow for one, fast for one, and right on for the last one.

Now comes the pain. I naturally felt I would go at 2:10 again for the 9th to save energy for the last one. We start running, and Starr is out front. At the 200 meter point, I passed her. I finished with a 1:52, and I didn't really get anaerobic until the last 100m. Starr and I looked at each other and both said in unison, "I don't think I can run another one that fast." Sarah was right behind us and ran her first sub-2 400. Go Sarah!

Starr did her last one on her own, and I started 30 seconds behind because Gilbert was having some new people run with Sarah and I. We take off, and I think I can't maintain the same pace. Here are these two new folks running with me though, so I gotta look good. At 200m I was already anaerobic and felt myself slow a bit. The two new folks (Scott and Barbara, I think), weren't even breathing hard! Grrr...I was gasping for air and making all sorts of noise. At 300m, I just suffered through and knew I could finish strong no matter that even my toes and fingers were craving oxygen. I'm so glad it was dark because I bet I looked horrendous trying to gulp air through my nose and mouth in the same noisy breath. Final time: 1:50. That might be my fastest ever. I can't remember if I ran a 1:48 before or if that was just a dream.

Thursday I did get observed, and it went beautifully. My class made Latkes, and the kids were angels. (Aren't they always, wink, wink?) Thursday night we went to Runtex, and I was so happy to donate money toward the Congolese girls' shoes. They are so sweet and shy, and I love to see them at my running class. I'm so happy that Meg brought them to class and is doing so much for them. I am really thankful they are here in Austin, safe and healthy. I don't know much of their story, but the tiny parts I do know sound really, really bad.

And Elijah got his wish. We got a Christmas tree last night. Last year, Joshua named the tree Grace. This year, Elijah had the name picked out before we ever bought it - Faith. So we went on Faith and chose a tree that wasn't unbound. She's in our living room now and is perfect. Maybe we'll actually decorate her tonight, lol.

Does anyone ever wonder why my blog is named Juice and Joy?

B-o-r-i-n-g Blog, I apologize

Lego Star Wars is taking over my house. I didn't cave and buy a game system, but Joshua did get the PC games of Lego Star Wars I and II.

13 mile long run on Saturday. Gayatri and I ran slow and enjoyed the first part of the run. We stayed on the trail for all 13 as the other options I came up with just weren't tantalizing enough. Funny since the trail can be such a snooze-fest at times. The hardest part for both of us was repeating a loop we'd just done.

We did the 10-mile loop backwards and turned across the Pfluger pedestrian bridge 9.5 miles in to repeat the Lamar-Mopac loop. It was late in our run, we were tired, and my feet were starting to really hurt. Our legs were achy, and we just needed to get past the Mopac bridge again to feel like we were getting close to finishing.

I guess I need new socks. My thicker running socks curl under my toes and rub blisters. My thinner running socks rubbed the balls of my feet to a red pallet of pain. Neither of these things happens on shorter runs - runs 7 miles or shorter. So, if you have an amazing pair of Wonder Socks, lemme know.

Bobo, Joshua's pet praying mantis, laid yet another egg sack. That makes 3 egg sacks for her. I was sure she was about to die, but that chicken dinner did the trick. David found a grasshopper the loveliest shade of green for her meal yesterday. It was a fairly large 'hopper, too. We felt some guilt pangs feeding it to a mantis that is going to die soon, but as David said, "It's a bug-eat-bug world."

Yo, Banana Boy Fartlek

My sons had so much fun with these:

race car
yo, banana boy
toot (Joshua's favorite)
radar
never odd or even
a Toyota (I'd love it if it were a Prius)

"Huh?" you say. What are those? Can you think of one?

That was a game we played during fartlek. Starr, Sarah and Allison thought I was a kook for a few minutes there as I randomly blurted out words and phrases, but then Sarah figured it out.

We ran fartlek on the trail finally, so each group was on their own watch. I've been asking Gilbert for a trail fartlek for our class for months and months. Allison and Starr kept overtaking Sarah and I on their hard minute, and then we'd pass them on our "hard" minute. I made the comment that we were like the compass in an old classic poem, but they didn't know what I was talking about. :-(

So, here is some much needed poetry.


A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

As virtuous men pass mildly away,
And whisper to their souls to go,
Whilst some of their sad friends do say,
"Now his breath goes," and some say, "No."

So let us melt, and make no noise,
No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move ;
'Twere profanation of our joys
To tell the laity our love.

Moving of th' earth brings harms and fears ;
Men reckon what it did, and meant ;
But trepidation of the spheres,
Though greater far, is innocent.

Dull sublunary lovers' love
—Whose soul is sense—cannot admit
Of absence, 'cause it doth remove
The thing which elemented it.

But we by a love so much refined,
That ourselves know not what it is,
Inter-assurèd of the mind,
Care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss.

Our two souls therefore, which are one,
Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion,
Like gold to aery thinness beat.

If they be two, they are two so
As stiff twin compasses are two ;
Thy soul, the fix'd foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if th' other do.

And though it in the centre sit,
Yet, when the other far doth roam,
It leans, and hearkens after it,
And grows erect, as that comes home.

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,
Like th' other foot, obliquely run ;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,
And makes me end where I begun.

- John Donne, 1611

Chicken, it's what's for dinner

Joshua's pet praying mantis, Bobo, has a pretty good life. We gather bugs for her daily consumption, but the cold front last week put an end to our endless supply of grasshoppers and moths. I read in a children's book that a family got their pet praying mantis to eat chicken, so we tried it.



So, next spring we should have 100-200 baby mantids, if you want a good pet.

Happy Birthday to Joshua

My baby is 6 today. We planned a "sports extravaganza" at the park since he is always wanting to play any type of sport. We even paid $60 to reserve the covered pavilion at the park. It's non-refundable, and today is the coldest, wettest day since last winter. Really, it's been warm and sunny all month. It was a chance we took, and we sort of knew that we'd jinx ourselves by actually paying money to reserve the pavilion.

So the party will be at our house now. I'll have 15 five and six-year-old boys running around my rather small house. Joshua is thrilled about it as he wanted his party at home the entire time.

It's raining right now, and David is out on his long run. I'm so happy to have run my long run yesterday. I'm just not ready for cold, rainy running this year. I hope David is doing okay; I'm sure he is as he's very tough and determined.

I ran alone yesterday in Georgetown around my sister and mother's neighborhood while David and my sister watched the UT game and E and J played video games. I did the 7 that was on the roster for "advanced" half-marathon training. I really enjoyed running alone, and I could tell I was running faster than usual. I finished with around a 10.45 pace. I'm fairly certain my first mile was around 11.30 or 12 and my last mile was around 10. I felt fine other than my right knee hurting a bit between mile 4 and 5. It's my same ol' IT band leg/knee, and I have to be extra careful when I run on roads.

Here's a photo of Joshua from his first birthday:

Resistance

I should be doing homework for my class tonight, but I must ask,

What does a parent do when their child asks for one thing, and one thing only, for birthday (and Christmas), and The Thing is something you and your spouse have agreed would not enter the home?

David's answer: Disappoint your child.
Sarah's answer: Try to find something else that he wants
My answer: Give in because I'm a sucker, hee hee, but then realize that I can't give in because I do not agree with video game systems sucking brain cells and precious time from sweet children. I have to stand firm.

I think of this line from a movie:

We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!

I cannot give in to Joshua's charms. I must draw the line here. Here, and no further!

Yes, I love Star Trek. Yes, I say it with Picard's accent. Yes, I know I'm a dork.

Random Tuesday Musings

Who needs DVR when you have dv? That man is genius. He rigged our computer with a recorder and now it's connected to our tv. Ah, so sorry Time Warner.

I hate my class. My arms ache from the typing frenzy I went through for 2 hours trying to get my homework finished. Woe is me. But then in class we piled "10 things" from around our houses that we could use in our class rooms, and we got to just make whatever we wanted. You know what? It was fun. More adults should do preschool activities every now and then.

In the words of Gayatri, I work really hard at being bad at running. My 10-mile race was really a struggle, but more on that when I have some interest in writing about it.

I have no will power. My fat thighs chafed during the 10-miler. I have never chafed in any race, and I was so shocked to see the wounds (which I didn't feel during or after the race or even in the shower after the race). So upon seeing those red rashes, I vowed to lose 10lbs by stopping all cookies and coke intake. My no-cookie plan usually lasts about as long as no cookies are around. I made cookies for Joshua's teacher's birthday, and cookies are back in the diet. Elijah comes home with 20 cookies from his friend's house - homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Are you kidding me? Mmm...they are so good.

I honestly believe that as I get older I'm getting slower and stupider. Yes, I wrote stupider and meant to write stupider. I can't remember simple things, and I ran my half-marathon 2 years ago at a faster pace. Okay, so there weren't hard hills in that marathon, but there was freezing drizzle and 3.1 additional miles. I would give you more examples of my stupidity, but I can't remember any of them right now.

So my boys learned a bad word last week - the "S" word that ends in "hit." Turns out Elijah has heard before it from a friend (I knew it!), but Joshua didn't know it. Elijah would not tell him, but Joshua kept pestering. Elijah gave Joshua the letters one at a time, so Joshie sounded it out. He then says the "S" word about 20 times before finally asking what it means. Well, it's all hilarity with boys if anything deals with poop. I make Joshua promise to not say that word and to certainly not teach anyone at school. Guess what? He told his best friend in the Teddy Bear Center. The best friend is a really good pester-er, too. Well, best friend told 3 other boys. Joshua was most certain those 3 boys didn't tell anyone. Ack, my nightmare of parents coming to the teacher saying, "My child say Joshua taught him to say sh*t" ran through my mind. What will I do when the "other" words roll around?

Song of the day:

You had some fun for the weekend
but I'll be in the love for the rest of my life

Can you name it?

Just another Manic Monday

So much to say, so little time. Good writers, though, can exude an image and feeling in few words. Let's see how I do.

Monday, a week ago: Secret Hill. Legs tired from hilly long run, I suppose. It's our last chance to enjoy looking at my dream house near the top of the hill, as soon it will be dark during our class. Someone's grill was rather enticing and yet irritating.

Tuesday: Joshua's play-off t-ball game. Grasshoppers win. No kids cry. Very little screaming at players.

Wednesday: Halloween. Elijah was a skeleton, and Joshua was a Dead City Chopper (dead motorcycle guy). Can you imagine if kids actually ate all the candy they got for Hallween? Oh wait, maybe that contributes to why the US is so dang fat. I missed running class. Crazy mom that I am, I wanted to see my kids trick-or-treat. I intended to run on my own, but the best laid plans...

Thursday: I can't even remember. I took my test at the Testing Center. I have never been to a testing center. Either they didn't exist in the dark ages when I was at university, or I just never missed an in-class test. They are serious there. I had to empty my pockets and put all belongings in a locker in the hall. I was even scared to exist to sharpen my pencil that broke on the first question.

Oh, I do remember. I went to Fitness Life. I did this cool elipticle that mimics running and shows your stride length. I swam some laps, and my broken hand smarted a bit. It's so loud in that indoor pool; it's a good motivation to learn sign-language. Joshua was 2 feet from me, and we couldn't hear each other. I did go on one of the swirly slides. Fun.

Friday: Joshua's disastrous semi-final t-ball game. This deserves it's own blog. Nauseum galore. I was nervous for the team because they were playing "the best team in the league." Remember folks, this is t-ball! Coaches screaming. Kids crying. Parents yelling to the point of hoarseness. The other coach literally jumped up and down and shook his fists yelling, "Yes!" when a 5-year-old boy from our team struck out. Excuse me while I get my barf bag. It was disgusting. David spat his bad taste out rather easily, it seems. Mine sank into my stomach for a good day or two. The other coach also yelled at the 12-year-old umpire. Joshua's team didn't win, and you would have thought that other coach had orchestrated the Cubs to a World Series win the way he celebrated. It was really sad and shocking.

Saturday: 10-mile run with "my girls" as I will refer to them from this day forward: Gayatri, Yvette, Elizabeth, Leslie, and Barb. It was so fun to have such a big group. We did the trail loop, and we finished 5 minutes faster than mine and Gayatri's last 10-mile trail run. We even picked up some trash on the trail. I literally ran straight to my car to make Joshua's soccer game. I did my best to stretch at soccer, but it's never the same.

David had planned to run the Dallas Half, but then changed his mind and ran his own half on the trail. He's still undecided about White Rock.

Back to Monday: Circuit at Austin High. I was thrilled to see an old friend join the Gazelles. Hi Tracy! I was ecstatic to see Minnie back at class. Our class was H-U-G-E. I love circuit though.

I've got this song stuck in my head:

I wish I was a little bit taller
I wish I was a 'baller
I wish I had a girl who looked good; I would call her.
I wish I had a rabbit in a hat
and a '64 Impala

Can't remember who sings it. I am the Queen of Random Lyrics.

Small Town, Saturday Night

I saw a lot of small towns yesterday that I had never seen before. I drove through Crawford, Texas, and saw a big sign of President and Laura Bush on the outskirts of town. Anyone ever heard of or been to Valley Mills, Texas? What about Hico (although we didn't drive through it)?

I often wonder what life is like in each little town we drive through. Would I be happy in that little town? What do folks do? I could work at David's Supermarket, which we got a big kick out of seeing in several of the towns. David's Supermarket uses those old hand-made grocer signs to advertise sales. I could send my kids to the one and only school for the town, and they'd stay there from kinder through 12th grade. I asked David what he thought about living in those small towns and he said, "oppressing." That's my positive Darling!

We drove to Glen Rose for a wedding. Actually, the wedding was in Granbury. The boys' first nanny (and Elijah's first teacher ever) got married. It was a sweet wedding in a quaint ranch setting under trees, near a lovely pond with cows mooing in the background, crickets chirping, and someone in one of the front rows farting so loud at the beginning of the ceremony that Joshua could not stop laughing throughout. Oh, I hope that fart isn't on their video.

We drove back to Austin after the reception (left about 10 or 10:30pm), and Audra had warned us to watch our speed. I had just hours earlier wondered what folks do in these small towns, and now I know what the sheriffs do. They wait inches from the 30mph sign to catch speeders. David got pulled over for going 41 about 25 meters after the 30mph sign. Joshua has been wanting one of us to get a ticket to see what it's all about. Well, his wish came true.

The sheriff was pleasant with his small town, Texas accent. He didn't write a ticket for the insurance card that was 5 days expired knowing that we probably just hadn't put the new one in the car yet. He only wrote a warning for the speeding and asked David to "slow it down." He did, however, write a ticket for David's expired driver's license. I was dumbfounded, "Don't they send notices that it's going to expire?" He asked David why he was driving with it expired, and David honestly told him he had no idea it was expired and that he hadn't received a notice. His license is a bit over a month expired. I wonder if we got a notice and it got set aside or thrown away. If so, it cost us $200.

Things like this always happen to us. Is is just us or other people, too? I really think it's just us, or at least us in over-abundance. Think good thoughts that the judge will let David off once he sees that David got his license renewed immediately. It would be nice to use that $200 for something other than supporting the small town of Walnut Springs, Texas.

How many bones in your body?

I saw my hand bones today at the Hand Doctor. Very interesting. Did you know there are 29 bones in the hand? And your wrist has 8 bones? That's just your wrist. Well, my break looks pretty scary from a certain angle, and that is the word the doc used. No wonder there's a lump sticking out of my hand.

Good news is that I don't have to wear my splint anymore. I'm healing up nicely, and the doctor was surprised I walked around with the break and didn't have any pain as he was squeezing and pinching my hand. Well, it has been over 3 weeks, ya know. And the squeezing and pinching did hurt, but he was pinching hard.

I got the feeling the doctor was flirting with me. Not overtly flirting, but I just got this feeling. E and J were there with me, and he asked some questions about them. He asked a couple questions of me that didn't really pertain to my hand break. Maybe he's always a friendly, curious fellow who looks intently into patient's eyes. Maybe I'm old and out of the loop re: flirting and someone being interested in me.

The nurses gave E and J these awesome lollipops that have a skeleton hand instead of stick (well, actually, Joshie got a skeleton leg and Elijah got the hand). The Hand Doctor shares office space with the Foot & Ankle Doctor, fyi.

So...no one scold me when I am splint-less b/c I got doctor's orders to cast it aside. LOL. Super bad pun, sorry.

400's at the track - Wednesday, 10/24. My absolute favorite workout (seriously!). It was super windy, and there was one rep that I honestly felt like I was going to get blown off the track. I didn't want to do 10 because I've been so dog-gone tired lately, but I knew Gilbert wouldn't let me get away with anything less.

We started slow (Gayatri, Sarah, Allison, and I). Actually, Allison may have started faster than us and joined up later on. I know Starr started fast and met up with us for maybe one or two.

Most of mine were around the 2:00-2:10 area with a 1:58 for my 6th, which was way too fast at that point. Benard said we were having too big of a gap between our first one (super slow) and our middle & ending ones. Gilbert always wants us to get faster as we go, and we just aren't experienced enough yet to run the exact pace each time. Well, I am better at it than I was this past Wednesday. I generally need to run them alone if I'm going to get the same time each lap.

Anyway, I completed 10 and my last one was my fastest. The last three were so hard with the wind and fatigue. At the end of each, I sort of felt loopy and wondered if a migraine was around the corner. No migraine showed up that day.

Blah, blah, blah...this is so boring.

7 miles tomorrow morning, and we are running part of the EAS 10-miler route. Gayatri wants me to run the race with her, but I dislike road races. Out of love for her, I'm considering it.

According to Elijah, there are 206 bones in the body.

I like soft

How fast can I write about the end of my week? I'm supposed to be getting myself and my kids ready for school.

Thursday the boys and I went to Fitness Life, and I ran on the treadmill for 35 minutes. I hate running on the treadmill. It seemed harder than running outside. I know everyone says the opposite, but it was harder. I also question the accuracy of the min/mile level. I was huffing and puffing on that thing. One last thing about gyms: do we really, truly need all the mirrors?

Saturday I met Gayatri (Guy-uh-tree) at 6am for our 10-mile run. We chose the trail because it's softer, and we like soft. We went in the direction of the mile markers to save the east side of the trail for daylight. The trail was soooo dark, and we both commented on how our eyeballs were straining to see. It was a pleasant run, and neither of us felt fatigued or irritable.

I pre-cut a goo b/c I can never open them. I put foil and tape around it, but it still got all over my shorts and me. I prefer Clif Blocks anyway, but I didn't have enough of those. Lessons learned...

Across from Joe's Crab Shack, near the end of our run, Gayatri says, "Is that a house or the Alamo?!" I turned to look at the structure, and yes, indeed, one would wonder if it was a house or a replica of the Alamo. Okay, so it doesn't really look exactly like the Alamo, but it's close. And when you are 9 miles into your 10-mile long run, everything is funny. We thought the house was absurd built right on the edge of the cliff on Riverside. Anyway, next time you are over there, ask yourself the same question.

This was Gayatri's first time to run the entire 10-mile loop, so excitment was in the air. Stretching was cozily warm as the sun hit my back. Gazelles were friendly and talkative (I wish I had introduced myself and vice versa). I helped Minnie with the shirts (I was SO HAPPY to see Minnie), and I met Lynne Dobson. Her family has a connection to David's family that involves a really, yummy hamburger.

Now Where Was I?

More catching up...

Yes, I fractured my hand on an apple-peeler-corer-slicer. Imagine karate chopping a metal bar, and you'll get the idea.

Last time we were here (before the broken-hand interruption), I was wooing you with a Fitness Life and 900s report. Now if that isn't excitement, I'm not sure what is.

Fitness Life (Joshism) opened last weekend, and my kids were begging to go. We skipped church (super bad!) and went to the gym. It is amazing. The kids' area is awesome, and older kids will not mind going there one bit with computers, a huge indoor playscape, and their own basketball court. I think there is an outdoor play area, too.

After dropping the boys off, David and I walked around looking at everything. I'm so excited about the pools. I will be able to swim laps regardless of the weather, and I know my kids will be happy in the kids' area. There is an indoor leisure pool with two big straw slides, a mushroom fountain, and water shoots. There were so many families there Sunday evening when David took the boys back to the pool. It was quite overwhelming.

We ended up in the cardio area. I'm not a fan of indoor gym cardio, but sometimes you do what you gotta do. I really didn't want to workout since it was a day off for me, so we rode bikes for 15 minutes. We then went to do Gilbert's core workout with medicine balls, but I couldn't catch the ball thanks to my broken hand (at this point I hadn't seen the doctor yet). So we did some crunches and "Smash It!" and other ab things.

Did you know there is a family basketball court and a cafe? It's so worth joining if you have a family. We got the boys and played some basketball (why are the goals at normal height in the family basketball area??). After hoops, we ate in the cafe, which we promised ourselves would not become a habit. Did you know you don't even need cash or a debit card b/c they can use your gym ID? How very clever of them and dangerous for the rest of us.

Monday...

900s, 2nd favorite workout. You know, I probably love Meriden more than this one, but it's been eons since we did Meriden so I have forgotten. I ran over from Runtex thinking I was behind everyone, and I ran way too fast for a warmup. Turns out, Gayatri arrived at Runtex a few minutes after me so was behind me the whole way.

The weather was really pleasant, but that sewer smell down near the pool and train track was there again. It didn't used to be there, but the past year or so of doing 900s, it's there. If you are bored at that point of your run, you can hold your breath and see what happens to your pace.

I did three at a reasonable time, faster than I wanted since it's supposed to be a "comfortable pace." A bunch of folks lined up to do a fourth even though Coach had said three, but I didn't. I needed to leave and planned to head back to Runtex. Coach starts a speech, so I end up getting a ride back with Sage Sarah after his talk is over. I think around this time is when I promised my class that I would see my doctor about my hand.

My legs felt pretty pooped on the last repeat, but overall it was a good workout. I wish I had time to run back to Runtex, but Time waits for no Mommy.

A date I couldn't turn down

Wednesday was Tempo, my absolute favorite workout. < insert extreme sarcasm > Wednesdays are difficult for me b/c I take Elijah to piano from 3:15 - 4:15pm right next to the trail. I drive him home, change clothes, and drive right back down to the trail. I'm a very busy person, and we are a busy family. I'm away from home M,T,W evenings, and it gets old. So, some Wednesdays I just don't go to workout.

Of course, Tempo would be the perfect day to skip workout. Last tempo, I ran on my own during piano and hated it. I vowed to not run tempo alone again, and I fully intended on going to class.

Gilbert spoke to David Wednesday afternoon, and David said I would not be at class (he had heard me moan and groan about how difficult it was and how much I have to do for family, work, my class, etc.). Gilbert made a comment about it being Tempo...how convenient, right? Well, David hadn't talked to me and didn't know that I was adament about going.

I got home from piano (and traffic, yea!) a bit before 5pm. David fills me on the Gilbert phone call. I tell him I'm going to class. He then does something he has never done before. He invites me to run with him. Okay, so it was not a formal invitation, but he said, "Well, you can run with me later at the soccer fields." Whoa a minute. I just got asked out on a running date from my husband. My hubby who normally runs 4-5 minutes/mile faster than me. My husband who has run with me in the past on his "super-slow" recovery runs. My husband who is injured and slowly trying to come back. My husband who I've been worried about because he's so quiet about his injury and even more quiet about how it's affected him and his goal for a sub-3 marathon in December.

What do I do? What do I do?

I call Holmes and tell her my dilemma. I have to go to class, or Gilbert and everyone will think I skipped just because it's Tempo. I tell her all my crap I have to do, and how it's already 5:15pm and blah, blah, blah. She is so wise. I shall now call her Sage Sarah. She simply asked, "So your goal today was just to run?" Well, yes. Then she said she really didn't see a dilemma for me. One should always run with an injured spouse if they invite you on a running date. Ah, so brilliant!

So Sage Sarah goes to class with the instructions to tell Gilbert what's up with me. She ended up doing a really great tempo, btw. Go Sarah! I found out that Gayatri had a rough tempo running with blisters from her inserts she bought last week at Runtex. She finished with a really decent time anyway. And I heard today that Allison ran her same tempo time after being so sick for over a week that she had IV fluids at the hospital. I'm not so sure I'm as tough as those gals.

And me? I ran with David at the soccer fields. I warmed up with Joshua kicking the soccer ball and doing running drills with him to practice passing in front of the person running. David mapped out a mile lap around the Westcreek soccer fields, and I ran two laps. I tried to run fast on the parts where Joshua or Elijah wasn't running with us. It wasn't a tempo effort, but there were a couple of times I was pushing.

One nice thing about the evening was doing things I needed to do before 9pm, but the best part was running with David and seeing him run. True, he's going slow. It's embarrassingly slow according to him. But he's running, and he looks great. I think he plans to stick to the grass for a while longer. I still have my fantasy that he somehow is able to run his marathon in December.

Coming soon...

to a blog near you: Attack of the Apple-Peeler-Corer-Slicer! It's a must-read account of an accident-prone runner and a high quality kitchen gadget. The dangerous APCS is a vicious machine aimed at maiming anyone not paying 100% attention to what she is doing. It can core! It can slice! It can peel fruit skins in one long ribbon! It has sharp prongs that can puncture even the hardest membrane! Read on, if you dare...

I was giddy about my lesson plan this week: apples. So many ideas and activities to do with 3-year-olds and apples. Wednesday I planned to make applesauce. I pulled out my good ol' apple-peeler-corer-slicer from the cabinet and dusted it off. How fun this will be! The kids can take turn peeling and slicing apples. I can teach science and target their gross motor skills in one lesson.

All is going well, and the kids are fascinated with the peeling and slicing. They are eating the peels and lauging at how long some of the peels can be. They are sweet and patient while waiting their turn to crank the handle and peel/slice/core an apple.

I put an apple on the prong, and the apple stops before it's supposed to. My hand keeps going, and all I feel is intense pain. Twenty eyes are watching me, and twenty ears are listening to every breath I take. I want to scream. I want to cuss. Instead, I grab my hand and say rather softly and pathetically, "I think I just broke my finger." It hurt so bad. The kids don't care. They want to have their turn on the apple machine.

Luckily for me, another teacher came in and was able to get me an ice pack. I got to hold it on for a good 20 seconds before the kids starting rioting for more apple peels. No rest for a wounded preschool teacher. We finished up the apples, and all the kids were happy. I was not happy. My hand throbbed. I realized that it wasn't my fingers but my outer palm and back of my hand near my pinky that were hurt. My hand was swollen and starting to bruise.

The applesauce turned out delicious. You should all make some at home. You might never eat store-bought again. Everyone asks how I hurt my hand. Who hurts their hand so badly on an apple-peeler-corer-slicer?

I scheduled a doctor appointment after barely bumping my hand against the car door (intense pain). I canceled the doctor appointment Thursday morning when I realized that even if it somehow was fracture or something was pulled badly, all they would do is tell me to ice it, take ibuprofen, and wear some sort of ace bandage or hand/wrist cast.

I went to Gazelles' class Wednesday night for 700s. I wondered how my hand would feel running - if bouncing would hurt. I warmed up with Barb, and if I held my hand at an odd (but not awkward) angle, then it didn't hurt. I did five 700s in a sort of ladder: fast, less fast, least fast, less fast, fastest. That wasn't the plan, but that's how it came out. I was happy with my times and effort. I was happy to see Kerri and Guy. It feels like I haven't seen them in forever. I was really happy to see Sarah show up after she sat in traffic for an hour. Good job, Holmes, for not turning around and going back home *and* for running so fast on your last 700. :o)

Tomorrow is a 9 mile long run. My hand still hurts something awful, but it's not as bad as Wednesday or yesterday. I haven't run 9 miles since February 2006. It will definitely be interesting to see how I do after being sick, having sick kids, and having a very, very serious hand injury. ;)

Survivorfam

Have you ever seen Survivorman or Man vs. Wild?

Well, we did it. We survived our first Cub Scouts camp-out, and it actually wasn't half-bad if you don't pay attention to the comedy of errors.

We left later than planned because we weren't packed and waited until the last minute to get all supplies (very Familyvance of us). Thankfully, Pat Legate loaned us some much-needed camp equipment such as self-inflating mattresses, cool headband lamps, small tables, and some silky-soft sleeping bags. The drive took longer than the hour that was advertised, but we made it there. However, we didn't make it there in time for Elijah to participate in the games, which was a disappointment to him. He took it like a champ though and was happy just to be there.

David and Elijah set the tent up like pros. We shared a pad with another family from our den, actually the Den Leader and his son. We had a two-person tent, 7x7, which surely would fit us. It did fit us, but I see now why it might be better to not have a family of 4 in a 2-person tent.

The boys were giddy and played in the tents. Our Den Leader brought a small grill, and we started hot dogs. Within 20 minutes, it started raining. It rained enough to create mud and wet the chairs and the bottoms of the tent where the rain tarp didn't protect it. Naturally, I had spread the bedding out and the pillows were right against the tent side. So two pillows got wet. Guess whose? Mine and David's of course. Better ours than the boys, if you want to minimize whining.

We took a hike to another section of the park where others from our pack were camping. Fortunately, it had stopped raining, and we enjoyed a nice s'more-making session and sing-a-long with the pack. Yawns all around, and we walked back to our camp in the lovely starlight. Elijah says, "It was about a mile walk."

Now comes the fun part - sleeping in the tent. I guess I did actually fall asleep after listening to the women in the camp next to us talk about Clue in detail. I don't know if they were playing the game or just talking about how to play the game, but when I say, "in detail," I mean IN DETAIL! David and I woke up on and off and shifted and turned. The boys seem to sleep fine, and they have no problem spreading out. About 3:15am, David gets up and moves to the van to sleep. Elijah seems feverish, and we wonder if he's come down with Joshua's illness from earlier in the week.

Morning dawns, and we've survived camping. I get out to head to the restrooms (there were very decent restrooms and showers very near our campsite). I try to unlock the van by sticking my arm through the window crack (see, I'm trying not to wake David up). Instead, I set the panic system off and wake up anyone left asleep in a 1/2-mile radius. We try to turn it off, but we can't. I lost the clicker a few weeks back, and a few years back David lost the other clicker. So we have no panic button to push on our clicker. We put the keys in the ignition, turn the car on, push all sorts of interior buttons, and finally David disconnects the battery. Phew.

David spends much of the morning trying to get the panic system to disarm. We still don't know why putting the key in and starting it did not work as it says in the manual that it "will shut off when key is inserted and turned to position 2." No matter what he tries, when he connects the battery, the horn and lights start up again.

So, we leave the battery disconnected and head down to the river for some swimming and stone throwing and skipping. The boys really enjoyed the water, and David proved himself to be the master stone-skipper and thrower by throwing rocks into cracks and crevices along the limestone wall across the river. I skipped a rock 4 times, which I think is a record for me. True, that's not much, but I never said I was a master stone skipper.

We are stuck with the panic-mode dilemma. We have to drive home, so I suppose we are going to drive with the horn beeping and lights flashing. This stuff always happens to us. Of course, I was going to buy a new keyless entry remote online a few weeks ago, and I didn't for some reason. Of course, this has to happen to us when we are at a Cub Scout camp out on a Sunday when Honda won't answer their 800 number.

But David isn't just smart; he's brilliant. He disconnected the horn fuse, so at least the horn stopped blaring. The lights are flashing, but oh well. David and I agreed the car is possessed. For the drive home, the panic-mode would come on anytime the car was started, stopped, or any door was opened. It would be in panic-mode for 30 seconds and then stop.

It wasn't until I unlocked the car from the passenger side at Joshua's Sunday afternoon T-ball game that the car stopped its panicking. I'm not sure why it decided to stop then, but unlocking with the key from the passenger side unlocks all the locks at once which may be what did the trick. Who knows. David said he tried that earlier while still at the camp site.

Elijah did end up with a fever and is sick. I think the boy willed himself to stay well enough to last through the camping trip. We stuck to our word of taking him camping this time, and he had a wonderful time. One day, he'll be in Boy Scouts, and I suppose then they actually camp out in places where you must build your own fire from scratch and dig your own latrine. I'll be sure to skip that camp out. ;o)

Familyvance goes Camping

We are soon to be camping-bound. Ah, the glories of Cub Scouts. We promised Elijah that we'd go to the spring campout last April, but we were lame parents and broke our promise. We then promised we'd go for sure to the fall camp out. So this is the fall camp out, and we can't go back on our word now. I mean, we could go back on our word...

We are going to be The Family that has no knowledge or experience camping. I think David has put the tent up once for the boys to play in and pretend camp in the backyard. We aren't planning on taking food that has to be cooked. We are going to share two sleeping bags and take sheets and a blanket or two. I'm not even sure if we are taking a lantern even though it is something that should be taken.

All in all, we'll be "camping" for less than 24 hours due to Joshie's soccer game in a bit and t-ball pictures and game Sunday around noonish. It will be enough camping for me, and hopefully Elijah and Joshua will get enough of a taste to decide if they like it.

Oh, you want to know where we are camping? Guadalupe River State Park. The few pics I could find show a pleasant river and surrounding area. The park map shows some trails that we'll surely meander down. I don't know what group activities the Pack has planned. I am hoping for at least 4 hours of sleep. It's not the outdoors that will keep me awake, but rather two furnaces that kick and flail and twitch in their sleep.

On to running. Wednesday was Fartlek. I felt well enough for class but didn't want to push it, so I did a shorter warm up (not even a mile), and I took it easy on the fartleks. Sarah and I ran to the 1 mile marker and back for our fartlek, and because we went slower on the easy minutes (probably slower on the hards, too), we ended up doing more reps than normal.

This morning Gayatri and I ran 7 miles, give or take. We ran from Runtex to O'Henry on the basis that it was 3.5 there. We thought it was more like 3 there so we added a mile at the end. I saw an old friend and had to stop to chat for a minute, so I lost Gayatri with about 2 miles to go in our run. I ran fairly hard to try to catch up to her, but I never did. I think I was talking for a good 5 minutes, so unless she stopped and waited, I doubtfully would catch her. It was a really pleasant run, and I thought the morning was quite fine. It was just a touch of cool - enough to wet your whistle for Fall weather. Hard to believe we'll be wearing sleeves and pants soon for warm ups and even some workouts.

Oh yes! We joined Fitness Life. David went over on Tuesday or Wednesday or whenever, and I'm so excited. I can't wait to swim laps regardless of the weather. Hey, I can't wait to swim laps and have somewhere safe and trustworthy for my boys to go that they like. The kids' areas is fabulous there. I know the boys will love it, and I have to figure out a way in our already tight schedule to go after school twice/week. I also want to go once/weekend. I know that doesn't sound like much, but trust me when I say Familyvance already has a tight schedule.

On to soccer and camping. Poetry coming soon.

Just a bit of Sharing

My preschool class is over-run with illness. Croup is going from child to child and even leaping into other classrooms. I actually think it started in another classroom. Three-year-olds don't share much, but they do share germs in abundance. So I've been feeling sickly since last week, especially Friday.

On to some running tidbits...

Last Wednesday, we did 400s at AHS. I did the first 4 at a very easy pace with Sarah. The 5th I ran fast as I chased a 4th grader trying to time him (yes, he beat me). I ran another 4 at my comfy pace again, but my heart rate was up from the fast one and just the reps. Erin was there, and as she started late, she talked me into running 2 more with her. That put me at running 11 400s, which is the most I've ever done in class. Gilbert wasn't writing down times, and I know if he had been, I would not have done 11. I would have run faster and maybe done 8. I actually enjoyed doing more even though I probably should have run a few of them faster. For me though, Gazelle class is a social activity. I get to talk to adults who are my friends (remember, I work with 3-year-olds). I think I'd probably always choose to run slower with a friend so I could chat.

Saturday I skipped the long run and slept in some. It was actually nice to get so much done in the morning when I'd normally be running and stretching (and I felt pretty horrible, too). Saturday was a full day with soccer, birthday party, and the UT/Rice game.

Sunday I ran with Yvette. The plan was 7, but I barely made 4 miles. I think I perhaps shouldn't have run, but that is what we do. We run when we are sick or injured for fear of losing it - losing that mileage or speed or spark.

So that brings us to today (Monday). I skipped hills b/c I still don't feel well. I have tons of homework due tomorrow and a test. It's also my darling husband's birthday tomorrow, and the poor lad will be spending it at work and at a Cub Scouts pack meeting. Everyone wish him a happy day if you think about it.

Goals this week: Get well, Survive Cub Scout camp-out this Saturday night

I do eat the cookies

To do or not to do...that is the question. As I'm busy all the time, I end up asking myself this question a lot. To clean the house or not? To do my homework or not? To go to Elijah's Cub Scout meeting or not? To run much-needed errands or not? Actually most of the time, the real question is "What thing do I do right now and what thing can I do later?"

So, last week I was out every evening. Monday I was at Gazelle class. Tuesday I have my college class. Wednesday I skipped Gazelles to go see my niece cheer in her first middle school football game. Thursday I had a team meeting for work. Friday I rocked out to The Killers with David. A true sign that I'm old is that I was exhausted Saturday morning from ACL. I didn't drink one drop of alcohol, nor did I get up at 5:30am to do my long run. In fact, I slept till 8am and was still tired all day.

Any of you with busy families can relate to juggling everyone's activities, needs, and wants. I am fairly good at taking care of everything and everyone, most of the time. The person that generally suffers is me (and housework). That is why I didn't run Tues-Sat despite having the best intentions.

Sunday morning I met Yvette at 8am for our long run. We did 7 miles on the trail - around to Longhorn Dam and back. We didn't have as many stops or slow downs as last week, and yet I thought our overall time should have been faster. I know we started out too fast, so maybe I was shuffling at the end.

Next week, we are going to try David's plan of starting super-slow and increasing speed so that by the end we are pushing hard. Our current plan is another 7-miler with the first 2 at a super-slow pace, the next 2 at our regular long-run pace, the next 2 at a comfortable pace that is faster than long-run pace, and the last mile at as close to Tempo pace as possible. I'm curious to see how we do.

My demons this week were mental. I just couldn't stop thinking about the distance as a whole rather than focusing on where I am at that moment. I can say that I prefer running Saturday mornings. It's nice to get it out of the way for the weekend, especially since we are such a busy family.

David came home Saturday from his run in severe pain with a shin splint. He blames tapping his foot/leg for an hour at The Killers show. He hasn't run since, so I know he's in pain. Think good thoughts for him, if you are so inclined. It's not like him to miss his Sunday recover run *and* the Monday morning Firecracker run.

So I come back to "What do I do first, and what can I put off for later?" Each day for about 3 weeks, I've been going back and forth on the course I'm taking through ACC. One day I am going to withdraw. The next day, I'm staying in the class. Lately, I've been changing my mind every few minutes. When I was in college and grad. school, I was single and childless. What a different world going to school with a family can be, and I give credit to those parents who are able to handle it all successfully. As of now, I'm still in the class. Ask me again later, and you might get a different answer. :o)

Speaking of...I need to do my homework, get Elijah to do him homework, go to running class, and then back home for all the regular family stuff and probably more homework/work for the preschool. All with the hopes if being asleep by 10pm. LOL!!!

Hoping to run more this week...and eat fewer cookies.

OMG

My 7-year-old just got a phone call from a girl! Do I laugh or cry?!

Going Solo

Does anyone read the poetry? Just curious.

Today on my tempo run I remembered something sweet that Joshua said/did on our vacation. He can read when he wants to (he's soon to be 6 years old), but most of the time he just can't be bothered with reading. Going to the beach one day in California, Elijah saw a sign advertising surf lessons. Elijah said, "Oh! I'm not going to tell Joshua what that sign says." Joshua's interest is peaked. He then read the sign, and said, "Surf! It says surf! Can we surf here? I want to surf!" I found it adorably hilarious and replied, "So the boy can read when he wants to."

So today I did tempo a bit differently. I ran during Elijah's piano lesson (3:15 - 4:15pm), so I was by my lonesome. The trail is pretty sparse at that time of day - or at least today it was. I didn't want to run an out-and-back warm-up, so I decided to run to the mile 1 for warm-up and then do from mile 1-3 as my tempo. I'd then have a mile to cool down. It sounded perfected and not boring.

The warm-up was fine. My legs are sore from circuit. I am always sore after doing lunges, especially when it's been a while. I started my tempo, and things were going fine until the 1.75 mile marker. It's hot and shadeless from there to the bridge. I was tired b/c I'd gone out too fast (drat it!), and the heat, vertigo, and allergies were little devils on my shoulder whispering, "Just stop...no one will know. Just slow down; it's entirely too hot to be running."

I made it to the bridge and saw I'd run a 9.32 first mile. The new terrain was tough, and I don't want to run that again at that time of day. I give props to the T/Th afternooners who run the 4-mile tempo and have that hot, sunny stretch to run twice.

I actually walked for a minute on the bridge. The mental devils won that round. I started up again, and the north side of the trail is so much shadier. I was running at a comfortably hard pace and tried to focus on breathing and running. I finished hard and my overall time was 20.19...not bad for a brief walk in the middle. I really think that if I hadn't walked, my time might have been the exact same due to me slowing down later in the run.

I did a walk/jog cool down staying on the north side of the trail. I just love that blue water fountain with the mosiac.

Overall, I guess I did fine. Tempo is supposed to hard, but I wish it was pleasant. I do not like that route I did though. I missed the 1.5 mile marker so I didn't get 1/2 mile splits. I think our tempo out-and-back is boring and predictable at times, but I know when to go and when to slow. It's all really just mental b/c it's the same distance, and the terrain is really comparable.

I'm enjoying a quiet house with just me and the cats home. Elijah is with a friend. David took Joshua to soccer practice. This is exactly why I ran early today rather than go back downtown at 5:30pm (btw, I'd be running right now if I had gone back). For a rare bit, I get to sit and do nothing. Of course, that is coming to a quick end as I need to make dinner for the family, blah, blah, blah, etc.

Rainy Day Fun

I saw my mom explode at dinner last night.
She ate one too many brownies, I'm told.
It was gruesome and gave me quite a fright.
Now my mom will never, ever grow old.

Poem by Joshua and his Exploded Mom


"Men want hot women, study confirms"

That is a headline of Popular news on cnn.com. I had to LOL. Is that something that really needs to be studied? As if we didn't already know that. Here's the story, if you are interested in reading something that I could have told you without doing a study. I particularly like this story highlight: Men are much less choosy than women. Uh...yeah.

So, yesterday was rainy, soggy circuit with lots of core. Lots of folks didn't show thanks to some major downpours right before class. Wednesday is my absolute most favorite workout - Tempo. < grin > Gilbert will be flying in from somewhere and will be late, so we will probably start ourselves off on our own.

I have a recurring Wednesday dilemma that I need to sort out. Elijah now has piano right near the TLT from 3:15pm - 4:15pm on Wednesdays (thank goodness it moved from Mondays at 5:15pm). So, I will be right there for an hour, and then I'll drive him home and turn right back around and drive right back down to where I started from. I'm thinking of doing my Wednesday workouts while he's in piano to save time, gas, money, CO2 in the air...but I'll miss seeing my friends in class. I might try an every-other-week sort of thing.

Let's close today's blog with a poem.


She sweeps with many-colored brooms,
And leaves the shreds behind;
Oh, housewife in the evening west,
Come back, and dust the pond!

You dropped a purple ravelling in,
You dropped an amber thread;
And now you've littered all the East
With duds of emerald!

And still she plies her spotted brooms,
And still the aprons fly,
Till brooms fade softly into stars -
And then I come away.

-Emily Dickinson

Go Team Cop-a-Fila!

Last year, I ran my heart out in the Fila Relays. It was hot and dusty, and I struggled and hated it. During the run, I knew I was slowing down (went out way too fast). I didn't care at the time, but as usual, after the race and once I'm feeling fine, I start kicking myself for going so slow, or better yet, not going faster.

This year I really did try to find a team, but then I went on vacation. When I got back, everyone was matched up. I did a half-hearted attempt to find a team all the way up to race day. At that point, I just planned to run along side Sarah since I talked her a.) into joining Gazelles and b.) into running the relays.

It was such an enjoyable experience this year. The weather was much better, and I was going to run Sarah's pace. I thoroughly enjoyed running with her, and it was refreshing to enjoy a road race (I don't usually enjoy road races).

David ran blazing fast...a 13:52. Yowzers. Elijah and Joshua were sweet angels patiently waiting for us. They both finally were rewarded with food and a seat to watch the band right as that crazy storm was about to hit. We high-tailed it outta there much to Joshua's chagrin (he was really into the guitar playing). I looked for Sara, Yvette, or Gayatri to say farewell, but I had no luck as it was quite chaotic as people fled to their cars.

We got to the van, and I saw Gayatri on the course just past the 1-mile marker. I ran over to her and offered to run the rest of the way with her. I would have if I hadn't just eaten a plate of food and if she hadn't assured me that she would be fine (the rain was about to start). She is so awesome. She finished her race in the pouring rain. Go Gayatri! And her teammates waited for her to finish...in the pouring rain! Go Team Cop-a-Fila!

Saturday morning, I headed down to Runtex with Elijah, Joshua, and their bikes in tow. Gayatri's back was hurting, so she bowed out. I found Minnie waiting though, and we found an exhausted David after his 17 mile run. Minnie, the boys, and I took off for an easy jaunt around the 4-mile loop and left David to recover.

I'm so proud of my boys. It's not easy riding your bike on such a crowded trail, up and down little hills. They did well. The first 2 miles were fairly slow thanks to the hills and a man knocking Joshua over (the man was not watching at all and just walked right over Joshua as Joshua turned right off the 1-mile marker bridge). Fortunately, Joshua is a tough kid, but it shook him up fairly bad. He didn't want to ride anymore, but he did.

At the Mopac water stop, Minnie headed off alone to be on time to her meeting. The boys did amazing the 2nd half. They were 100-200 meters in front of me, and they never had any struggles. I felt good running. Not sure what pace I was going, but our 2nd half was at least 10 minutes faster than the first half (there was a long stop after Joshua's crash in that first half).

Sarah and I decided not to do the Burnet Tri. We just haven't trained for it. I don't really know how I trained for triathlons last year. I was just as busy then. I'm a little sad knowing that I won't have done a single triathlon this year, and what is slightly pathetic is that I had hopes of doing the triathlon series this summer.

I think I'm just tired of dragging my kids around for work outs. Tired of finding chunks of time to bike long enough and run long enough and swim long enough. It's a workout just to get in the workout, and this summer, I was happy just going to running class. David has also been running all the time these past several months. It's not easy finding time for two parents to train every single day for the amount of time you need/want to train. I'm the one that stepped aside. I'm the one that let David have the time he needs/wants to train for his marathon. He is motivated, he is ready, he is loving training. I can't say those things at all about myself.

I can say though that "I am having fun!"

The Dream Day at Disney

aka The Best Day Ever.

If you know the Spongebob song, then you know the chorus the boys and I were singing the entire day at Disneyland. If you don't know the song, you can listen to it here (I recommend it so you get the full affect).


Me, Joshua and Elijah in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle


So Jesse is a musician, and he got us these special tickets to Disneyland. The five us went (me, E, J, Dawn, and Jesse), and met Eric, Dawn and Jesse's friend, there. We had valet parking right at the hotel which literally is adjacent to Disneyland. We had our own Escort, Kelly. Kelly walked us around the entire park, so there was really no need for a map. However, we got a map because Elijah does love maps so.

Sounds good so far, right? Well, going around the park with an Escort means you go to the front of every single line, regardless of the ride, the wait, etc. It felt slightly absurd at first, but we soon fell into the routine. We didn't shove people aside; rather we entered the rides from the exits. So most people didn't realize we were going directly to the front of each line.

I must say that not waiting in any lines is the absolutely BEST way to experience Disneyland. I have never been before, but I'm sure I would agree to that statement even if I had been before (I've been to Disneyworld and of course other amusement parks so I can attest that the no-wait rocks).

I'm so proud of my boys. They rode rides I never would have imagined such as Indiana Jones (helps that they didn't know what they were getting into on that one), the Materhorn, Space Mountain, and Joshua even rode Tower of Terror. They were well-behaved and didn't complain about anything. Again, not waiting in lines on a hot day surely helps that.

Jesse was beyond generous. He paid for everything except my kids' pirate chest full of toys which they chose as their souvenirs. This includes a snack, lunch, dinner, lots of water, and sillouettes.

I feel so happy just remembering that day. I have always wanted to see Sleeping Beauty's castle. I was almost 29 years old when I first went to Disneyworld. I was practically running to the castle as David pushed Elijah in the stroller and tried to keep up. I was so disappointed when I arrived to find not only is it a big shop but they did not sell Sleeping Beauty stuff at Disneyworld. I stood there, a 29-year-old kid, feeling ripped off and that my dream of the castle was a big fake-out.

Well, Sleeping Beauty's castle is also a big store full of stuff...Sleeping Beauty stuff. I ooohed and ahhhed as we walked through. I didn't stop or even want to stop and buy any of it. It would have ruined the experience for me.

To save you from a play-by-play of our day, I'll just list the rides we in sort of the order we rode them. I can say that we skipped a 2-hour line at the Nemo Submarine ride. The Indiana Jones line was fairly long, too.

Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Carribean, Haunted Mansion, Sailing Ship Columbia, Peter Pan, Pinnochio, Dumbo, Teacups (blech, not me), Story Book Land Canal Boats, It's a Small World, Roger Rabbit, Matterhorn, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Star Tours, Space Mountain, Souring over California (California Adventure Park), and Tower of Terror (Cali Adeventure Park).

We ate dinner at Blue Bayou, which was really yummy.

It's taken me days to get this blog written, so this is it. I can't express really what a fantastic day it was. Just think of those rare days when everything goes just right. No one is sad or mad or sick or fussy. The weather is lovely. The company is lovely. The food is good. It was one of those days.

Elijah and Dawn on the Matterhorn.



Jesse, Joshua and Dawn on Dumbo.



Joshua and Jessica at dinner at Blue Bayou



Jessica, Elijah, Jesse, Dawn, Eric, and Joshua in front on the Golden Gate Bridge in California Adventure Park.

Why did I have to get up so early today?

First day of school. All went well for the boys (Joshua in Kindergarten and Elijah in 2nd grade). It was also my first day of school at the preschool and all went well there. Hopin' the goodness lasts.

Today was Spring Creek, aka, Secret Hill. I didn't warm up from Runtex because I needed to be home earlier than that allows. I met Yvette a smidge early and we ran down to the 3/4 mile marker and back to add some extra warm up. My legs were already tired just from that short warm up. The rest of the jog up to Spring Creek was fine with all the good company.

We did 5 ladder versions of the hill, and it was really hard. I'm sure the heat has a lot to do with it as everyone was feeling it. We did 3 backwards with the first going all the way to the stop sign. Ouch.

Gayatri and I soaked our legs in the Springs after the cool down. Ah, that feels so good. We really want all work outs to start from Barton Springs so we can do that every single workout. Now I know why dv loves starting and ending from there on Gazelle workout mornings.

Tired legs. Tired mind. Tired body. Familyvance will get the school routine down soon and hopefully have more energy. T-ball practice starts this week. Piano is ever-present. Soccer starts next week. I start school tomorrow (I'm taking a class at ACC - my first college course since getting my Master's...that was 11 years ago). Maybe I'll take a "first day of school" photo, too. ;o)

Fyi, Elijah takes piano and is in Cub Scouts. Joshua is doing soccer and t-ball. That's info for those that wonder why we have so many activities going on. Oh, and dv is the Asst Coach for t-ball. He got strong-armed into that one.

My goal is to have a strong arm when someone (everyone) wants me to volunteer this year. Just say no!

Surfin' and Runnin' Cali-style

8/27 Update: Added photos. :o)

Friday was a fun day in California for my boys. The boys and I rented bikes and biked along the beach between Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier. We had planned to stay at Venice beach to swim and hang out, but Dawn wanted to take us to another beach where she knew her surfing friend would be.

So we head out to that beach, which really was just down the way from Venice Beach. In fact, it might be considered part of Venice Beach. We spread the blanket out, and Dawn goes looking for her friend. Two minutes later, Newt is swinging Dawn around in his arms so happy to see her. Newt is dressed in a short wetsuit unzipped so the torso part is hanging. He's tanned to the max. His hair is shoulder-length golden from the sun. His eyes are sparkling green-blue with red from the salt water.

Dawn's other friend, Crash, is there also. He is just as thrilled to see Dawn. He has long bleach-blond hair and a tan that almost rivals Newt's. Dawn points out her two little cousins, Elijah and Joshua.

Newt and Crash work as surfing teachers. People generally pay for lessons from them, and I have no idea what the going rate is because we didn't pay. Dawn is definitely The Maker of Dreams Come True. It seems as though my boys just need ask, and Dawn made it happen (she has some really good connections).

So, my boys get a few minutes of lessons on the sand to practice the "Pop Up," and then it's into the water. My original plan was to run while they swam in the surf, but now they are the surf. I couldn't let this happen without me there and without photos. Joshua is the first to ride his board...stays on his belly. Elijah goes next on his belly. They both seems to enjoy it.

Elijah is a good student. He will do just what his instructor tells him to do. So on his very next attempt, Crash tells Elijah to stand up. So what does Elijah do? He pops ups and "surfs" for about 2 seconds before crashing into the wave. He gets choked up and looks fairly scared as he spits water out. He doesn't want to surf anymore. He's done it. He stood up. There is no need for him to go again.







Joshua spends the next 20-30 minutes with Newt in the water. He stands on his board many times and crashes many times. Newt was a great teacher - very patient and understanding. Turns out he learned to surf just a few months ago as he is a recent LA transplant from Nashville. I never would have known if Dawn hadn't told me.















After watching them surf, it's run time for me. I ran south along the boardwalk. It was 3:00pm, and the weather was so pleasant. I felt really strong running, and I am sure that is due to the Texas-spring-like temps and low humidity. It might also be due to the lovely scenery. It's not often one runs along the Pacific Ocean. I don't know how far I ran. I just ran 15 minutes down and turned back, but I ran faster coming back. I tried to slow down near the end to make sure I did at least 30 minutes. I think my final time was 29 and change.

That evening, we headed back to Jesse's house to find him waiting for us. He'd arrived from NYC while we were at the beach. Jesse and Dawn went to pick up our delicious dinner of grilled chicken, grilled veggies, and salad. Jesse entertained my kids by teaching both of them (but mostly Joshua) to skateboard. He kindly listen to Elijah play a song on the piano. He patiently listened to both of them play the singing bowls. It's not hard to understand why my boys think Jesse is "awesome" and "really nice."

Dawn had been wanting us to hike where she hikes at least 3 times/week - Runyon Canyon. We packed up the car (the boys, dawn, and I were staying at her apartment the rest of the trip). We head out (sans Jesse) to the canyon and hit tons of traffic. Elijah and Joshua fall asleep. We realize there is no hope of hiking as the sun is setting. We never did get to see her canyon or hike on this trip. It will be something we do next time, I'm sure.

Stay tuned for Saturday...The Best Disney Day Ever. This really was a trip of "ask and ye shall receive." My boys and I wanted Disneyland, and Dawn delivered. She won't take the credit because Jesse rightfully does deserve the Disneyland credit. However, if Dawn didn't take us to California in the first place...

Spring Creek & Driving to Cali

I forgot to write last night about my Monday workout. We did Spring Creek. I was very exhausted from traveling and the time difference and staying up late in Cali (which is ridiculously late in Texas), so I'm happy that I even went to class. I would normally warm up from Runtex, but "Not today, Zurg."

I was a little late due to chatting (no!?) with Elijah's piano teacher. I honked and got Guy and Kerri's attention, so I warmed up with them. If you ever want delicious scones or coffee or cinnamon rolls, ask Guy and Kerri to bring you some from Coffee Dog (that's their Coffee shop in Bastrop).

I was looking for my friend, Sarah, when we arrived at the hill. I didn't see her, and Gilbert asked where she was. So after a call with no answer, I ran back down to the parking lot on Robert E. Lee (the most asked location on the Gazelle forum, btw). No Sarah, so back up I go. I counted the doubled warm-up the hill as 2 Spring Creek hills. Hey, I'm recovering from vacation, so it counts.

So, at the hill I do 3 forward and 1 backward. My family had shown up, and David went off to do his pace run. Joshua loves running, so he was doing hills in his crocs. Elijah and Emma were serving water and Accelerade - so sweet. I only did 1 backward because Joshua fell pretty hard coming down the hill. I blame the crocs, but he might have fallen in running shoes as well. He's such a boy b/c he wanted to cry but didn't cry. It was a hard fall, too.

I had asked David to take the van to the parking lot, so could cool down. I knew it would just be a walk since I had the boys. Now I was wishing the van was right there still after Joshua's fall. But with a little water on the wounds, he was good to walk the half-mile to the car.

Not bad for my first day back from vacation.

Okay...part 1 of our trip: Driving.

We left Austin at 3pm Monday and drove for a long, long time. Stopped in Ft. Stockton at a Dairy Queen for a bit of dinner. We drove for as long as we could take it. The boys couldn't sleep well, and so around 1am MT, they were looking out the window for meteors from the meteor shower. I saw a couple, and the boys some some as well. Dawn was mad b/c she couldn't look out for them as she was driving.

We stopped in Lordsburg, NM at a motel (roach included for free). I think it was 3am MT? I woke at 8am, and by 10am we were on our way. We stopped in Tuscon for a very late breakfast, and drove on until finally we were in California! Celebration!

I really wanted to stop at the Joshua Tree NP, but we'd been in the car forever. I knew everyone (me included) just wanted to get to LA. But we stopped b/c it's right off I-10 (oh wait, when in Cali...THE 10). I figured we'd pull right in, find a Joshua Tree, take a picture, and get right back on 10. A 10 minute stop at most.

We drove and drove and finally came to a lodge with bathrooms and information. We drive some more, and soon it becomes absurd. We are in Joshua Tree NP and there are no Joshua trees. Now we've driven so far in that it's silly to turn around until we see a Joshua tree. We keep saying, "There's one!" but it turns out to be something else.

Finally, after 30 or more minutes of driving in the park, I actually see one. We spent a wonderful half-hour exploring and climbing rocks. It was a great diversion from the road trip. Because we we so far in the park, we just kept driving to the other side. We stopped in Joshua Tree (a town!) for a bite of supper. We drove around the park to get back to THE 10, and then it was on into LA.

We arrived at Dawn's boyfriend's house around 9pm? 10pm? It was so good to be out of the car. Coming soon...more from the trip, including cute things my kids said.

Driving photos (note that Joshua is sticking his tongue out in a "don't take my picture right now" sort of way). Elijah, Joshua and Dawn:

'Net withdrawals

So much to type; so little time. I'm finally home from California. I finally have access to the internet. Ahhhh, it feels so good. For the bulk of our trip, I didn't have access to a computer, which seems funny in a way in this e-this and i-that day and age. I did get to check my email from two different laptops on two different days, but there wasn't enough time or privacy to do much more.

Our trip was amazing. I will post all the fun things later, but for those wondering, I did in fact run on vacation. I only managed to run twice, which was my very realistic and doable goal. Can I count walking around Disneyland as a workout?

Here's a short breakdown of the trip, and I'll post day-by-day highlights soon. Some of you probably don't care, but some of you may really want to know. Anyway, all of you should look forward to "The Best Day Anyone Has Ever Had At Disneyland" post. I kid you not on that one. You doubtfully can compete with the day we had.

Monday, 8/13 - drive, drive, drive
Tuesday, 8/14 - drive some more, more and more. Stop at The Joshua Tree National Park
Wednesday, 8/15 - Santa Monica beach and Pier
Thursday, 8/16 - The Grove shopping mall, my run in the Hollywood Hills, and Griffith Observatory
Friday, 8/17 - Venice beach bike rides, run along the beach, and surfing!
Saturday, 8/18 - Dream day at Disneyland
Sunday, 8/19 - Drive up PCH to Malibu, flight home to Austin (arrive 1am)

There was so much we wanted to do and not enough time. My cousin, Dawn, had so many great ideas that the boys would have loved. We just ran out of time for them all. But it was a wonderful trip. I'm glad to be home though. I missed my husband quite a bit. I don't think I want to take a vacation for that long without him again. I think he missed us, too. :-)

Here's a sweet picture for now.

Amusementless Park

I just came inside from watching the meteor shower with my sweet boys. I know this is supposed to be about Fiesta Texas, but it was just too sweet to be with them while they waited to see their first meteor. We saw a gorgeous one that crossed the entire sky. What a blessed first meteor to see! It actually took my breath away to see it. I fear they think they are all like that. We waited around for several more minutes and just as I was about to give up and take them in to bed, we saw another one. I couldn't ask for it to be any better as we all three saw the same meteors.

Tomorrow we leave for California. I was thinking of going to the 8:30am running class, but I've not done a single thing to prep for our trip. I think I'll do a run around my neighborhood instead. We are driving all night perhaps...we'll see how we feel. Dawn (my cousin) thinks we can do it, but she's never driven that far with 2 kids.

So, I wanted to share my Fiesta Texas Curse. We bought season tickets, and we first went over Spring Break. My niece, Heather, was with us, and she fainted in the ticket line (we weren't even in the park yet). After 2 hours at First Aid and a dose of Tylenol (she had a fever), she wants to go ride something. We stand in line and before we get to the ride, it starts pouring rain. We wait it out. We eat. We play a game. We give up because the rain won't. It's hard to tell kids (even those with fevers) that no one can ride any rides.

We go back 2 days later. It seems everyone else who ever wanted to go to Fiesta Texas was there, too. It was insane. I have never seen an amusement park so crowded. There should be laws against letting that many people into an amusement park. I stood in line for over 30 minutes to buy food. Fortunately, my boys won't ride the big rides, so they didn't suffer much as far as lines go. The kiddie ride lines just aren't long waits, even if the line could be considered long.

We take our 3rd trip in late June. Guess what? It rains! I knew there was a chance of rain, but I hoped it would not rain or rain later in the day. We were able to ride everything my boys wanted to ride, but we did not go to the water park.

So that takes us to last Thursday. No chance of rain. We go with my friend Jennifer and her two kids. Our plan was to go straight to the water park. We arrive and the water park is very crowded. Of course, that is not a surprise since it is really hot outside. Luckily, the kids don't seem to notice or care about the crowds. I stand in line for 30 minutes to get our huge refillable cup filled. Not a good sign, right? And again, there should be laws as to how many people they let go into that water park and pool. There were a handful of teenage lifeguards for a huge Texas-shaped pool packed like sardines with people. I'll save my teenage lifeguard rant for another day though.

We hang out at the water park for a couple of hours. We head to the Texas Tree House, and Joshua wants to sit down rather than go play. He wants to go home rather than go in that awesome water fantasy tree house. Turns out, he has a fever. I give him Tylenol (I come prepared now), and Jenn and I discuss what to do. We decide to rent a stroller for Joshua, and let the other 3 kids ride at least one ride before leaving. Jennifer had lugged the two heavy pool bags from one side of the water park to the other (up a ton of steps, too), so I got to carry them out the car, which parked at the Porky Pig #1 sign. Those bags were heavy, and I kept saying, "Where is < blank > is Porky Pig?!" I just counted it as my work out for the day though.

Joshua perked up when the Tylenol kicked in. The kids got to ride what they wanted. We ate delicious Whataburger, and had a peaceful drive home. I'm wondering if I should try Fiesta Texas one more time before the season passes expire in a couple of months? I was thinking a Sunday afternoon in September or October might not be too bad. I'll just have to take my good luck charm with me. :-)

Biking with no hands

I've been practicing biking with no hands. On my long run Saturday morning, I saw a woman biking with no hands. She turned a corner with no hands. I can't even go for more than 10 seconds, and that 10 seconds is pretty shaky. Anyway, I commented on this in a previous post, so I thought I'd keep you updated. I had a some luck with it last weekend at the end of my ride with Sarah. I practiced again today, so maybe soon I'll be able to actually sit fully upright for a few seconds. Simple goals are good.

Saturday I ran around my 'hood alone since David ran with the Gazelles. I waited for him as long as I could, and then decided to just go. This is a huge deal since I have two children that are actually too young to stay home alone (ages 7 and 5). I have many routes near home, and I know the distance of several blocks, including one that is almost a mile. I figured they could stay alone while I ran various loops and blocks, and I'd come home and check on them every loop.

On my second loop, David was home. I debated what route to take and how far to go. I had planned just running for 60 minutes, but with my late start and a party at 11am, I was reconsidering. I ended up just running random streets that were far enough from home that I couldn't wuss out and quit before my 60 minutes were up. I felt my IT band in my right leg the last 20 minutes. It never hurt outright, but it was tight. Guess I need to be icing it. My legs were also pretty tired, and I wasn't sure why. My only guess is standing and walking an entire day at Fiesta Texas on Thursday (see next post for more Fiesta Texas commentary).

David ran 16 miles in about 2 hours. I ran 60 minutes and maybe did 5 or 5.5 miles. Good grief. I'm so slow! He's so fast! Why do I even compare my times with his? Do you know how long it would take me to do 16 miles? You could watch Titanic while I run 16 miles. Not that I plan to run 16 miles anytime soon, if ever.

I had big plans to bike Sunday morning. I chose to sit in my pajamas and skip church instead. Then instead of biking or swimming laps, I chose to eat lunch and go shopping. And even after that, I chose to read and watch television. That's until my sister-in-law, Linda, called and invited me to the Veloway. She just got a used bike, and I'm so happy she called. It got me off my butt.

I took Elijah and Joshua with me, and I was hoping they'd bike together around the small loop. After one small loop in which we all went on, Joshua announced that he was done. Of course, I had a back-up plan. If I didn't have a back-up plan, I would not have brought them. My back-up plan was "Daddy Saves the Day." That is almost always my back-up plan for anything. We live quite close to the Veloway, so depending on which direction one chooses, one can get there within 3-4 miles.

Linda and I talked E and J into biking up to the short-cut and waiting for us on the bench until we came around. I learned from Elijah later that Joshua peed in the trees while we were waiting. Ah, to be a boy. David met up with us as we went on around to finish our loop, and if memory serves, he came cruising up besides with no hands on the bars. Grrrr.

Linda and I went alone for another loop at a decent speed...moderate for me. It was just so nice to be out biking. It was finally cooling off at this point, too. My three boys were on a bench at the start, and Elijah decided to join us for a big loop. Linda didn't think she could do another loop at the same speed. I went ahead and told them I'd go around to the short-cut and then try to catch them.

I loved that loop. I was going as fast as I could, and it felt great. I got around to the short-cut and then tried to catch them as quickly as possible. My legs were feeling that speed work. I caught up to them just before the hill, which turned out to be good timing since Linda's chain fell off on the hill. She didn't know how to fix it, and I used to have a pretty crummy hybrid bike with a finicky chain. I may not be able to change my own flat tire, but I can put a chain back on. :o)

We went slow with Elijah the rest of the way. David and Joshua saw us at the short-cut, and we all rode back together. Linda packed up. David and the boys packed up. I biked the 4 miles home. There's an incline on Escarpment that is so deceiving. It was the hardest hill on my ride last weekend, and it was hard again today. Of course, I hit that incline at the end of the ride, but I look forward to the day when that incline doesn't phase me.

So, for a last-minute bike ride, I did pretty good with 16.7 miles. Of course, a few of those were at a leisurely speed with my kids. However, I would ride with them any day over riding a faster, harder ride. I would choose them every time. I love that I can take my kids with me, even if it means that I don't get to go as fast or as far. It really won't be too long before they'll be able to go my speed and distance, and then they'll be faster and go farther. :o)

Circuit, or lack thereof

"A closed path followed or capable of being followed by an electric current."

Monday was Circuit. I do enjoy circuit, but it wasn't meant to be for me this time. My family set out together for a nice evening of exercise. We dropped Elijah off at piano and headed to Runtex. Joshua rode his bike with me for the warm-up from Runtex. David was going to get Elijah from piano and meet us at the track. Elijah and Joshua would bike with me for my cool down. It was going to be fun-family-exercise-time.

Kathie and Yvette ran with us from Runtex. We lamented about the heat. My legs were a bit tired from my Saturday bike ride, so it wasn't my most favorite warm-up run.

What's ironic about this story is that I was really looking forward to class. I was excited to come to running class, and I told David about it on the drive there. Gazelles class is an important part of my life - our life. We both enjoy it so much, and its benefits are many. It's an activity we can share together and as a family. It's a joint hobby/interest to talk about and discuss. The family that exercises together, stays together and all that jazz. Blah, blah, blah.

We arrive at the track and stand in the shade across the street. We finally decide to join the group which has begun the drills. Gilbert arrives and immediately asks me where my car is, where is David's car, do I have a way home, etc. I finally gather that our van won't start. David went on foot to get Elijah from piano. There will be no circuit for me, it seems.

Gayatri kindly takes me and Joshua to Runtex to find David. She patiently waits while we try to jump the van (Gilbert and David had tried earlier with no luck). Some Gazelles who had finished their run assist David with the battery and debate over what the problem could be (which highly amused Gayatri). Gayatri takes me and the boys back to the track.

We arrive when the group is doing the core work. We run a lap and do a half-hearted circuit. We join in on the last plank. It's all a big bust for me. Gayatri runs a few laps, while I entertain my kids and procure a ride home. We have Joshua's bike to load in Gayatri's car, and we are headed back to Runtex.

There we find David and a dead battery. Yvette kindly takes us home. David does the manly thing and goes for a new battery. I do the womanly thing and make dinner. Our awesome neighbors watch our kids at 9:30pm at night so we can go try out the new battery. David is a mechanical genius. ;-)

Today I hope to finish my ciruit workout. Albeit, it will be alone (er...with kids!) and around our block. Summertime calls though, and we are pool bound.

Hello, Austin, Texas

I've said it before, but I love Austin.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/getaways/07/03/austin.texas/index.html

I really love how the hike-n-bike trail gets a good chunk of space in this article. And the greenbelt, too. Nice to have an article focus on so many outdoor things about Austin. My cousin, Dawn, and her beau are coming next week to visit. I'm excited and hope they want to go to running class with me. I think they want to hike some, so Familyvance may be visiting the Greenbelt, too.

Oh, and maybe we'll try the Bats again with better luck. Maybe Dawn will be the good luck charm for a fabulous bat viewing.


http://johnnyleefanclub.com/media.html

"Just seems I left a part of my heart
Somewhere in the lone star state"