Marathon Training: Week 17. New shoes!

After some hickups I am offiically training for my first marathon. Yeah, I registered for the Twin Cities Marathon and waisted $100. (woops). I won't be running that marathon because I will be in the Bahamas with my family. What a bummer! HA! So instead of TCM I am going to make the Des Moines Marathon my very first full on October 16th. Last week was my first week of marathon training. I am currently in the middle of a summer session (aka summer school). It's pretty busy and brutal but I did find time to get out and run three times last week. I am thankful that I have had time to squeeze running in. I even took Thursday off, I planned to do my scheduled 8 mile long run that morning. I was going to take Penny & Grant to daycare (dressed & ready to run), drive over to my favorite running trail and log in the Long Run (LR). However, as I sat watching the weather before waking up my kiddies (already dressed in my Under Armour pants & wicking shirt) I quickly found out Mother Nature had other plans. What a stupid whore! I hate Mother Nature!!!! So the sky was all gross and cloudy and grey. And it started to pour down rain. The wind was blowing like a freaking hurricain and the weather man said that a thunderstorm w/ hail & strong winds was headed our direction. Effing great. So I went back up stairs (stomping, of course, because I'm incredibly mature when I don't get my way) and changed into regular clothes. Instead of running I got all my grocery shopping done for Grant & Penny's party (which was saturday).

I did manage to run that day but I think it sucked. I cant remember specifics but all my running has sucked lately. This week I have gotten in only one run (its only wednesday). I managed to make it three miles monday afternoon is 90+* heat. But the verdict at the end of that messy run was that my shoes are officially done. There was no way I could put it off a day longer. Not one more step could be taken in those Brooks shoes! I estimate that I ran about 600 miles on them. They are toast. I went yesterday to the Lincoln Running Co. and bought a new pair of Brooks. This time I got Ravenna's. I tried on two other shoes that guy thought I might like. Asics and Saucony's. Neither had the kind of support that the Brooks have. I was willing to try something else but in the end I appear to be brand loyal! Brooks have never done me wrong (until around mile 601). I had a great time at the shoe store talking to the shoe guy who helped me. He had run the Paris marathon! Yeah, in actual Paris France! Not Paris Tennesee. Anyway, he watched me walk, measured my feet, we talked about how I've had two kids and my feet have changed (thanks a lot pregnancy!). So with my trusty new kicks and some other goodies - I got two new pairs of running shorts I can't wait to wear. They are soooooooo comfortable! And I also got some little electrolite things called NUUNs. (they are electrolites w/o the sugar like you get in gatoraid and you just put them in your water). Since I am running a lot in the heat of the day I need that help. I think that's part of my problem with having bad runs lately... I am so freakin' hot because it's like in the 90s! Baah.
 

We shall have to wait and see if I am able to squeeze in my long run this week. That is pretty damn important! I am going for a quick, short run today to test out the new shoes. But I am hoping Thursday or Friday to make it 8 or 9 miles. The calendar has this ominous looking number 9 on it. But I am not sure if I should make the jump up to 9 already. Having not done any LR's since the Lincoln Half over a month ago... is it wise? Or should I start with 8? Next week it says 10LR so I could make a two mile jump. What I plan to do is just go for 8 and if I feel great I will go another mile. The good news is ina  few weeks the LR is only 6. So I am thinking if I get a little off track I can swap out that little 6 for one of my missed LRs. I'm flying by the seat of my pants.

Marathon Training: Week 18 (or is it 20?)

As you (should) know by now I registered for my very first full marathon last week. I'm registered to run the Twin Cities Marathon on October 2nd. My training for that race began on Monday. I was home w/ sick ones so I skipped that day. Off to a bad start!!! Right?! Then Tuesday I ran 2 miles, which weren't very pretty. Yesterday I was set to run 3, which I did (on national running day!) but again I struggled. I haven't had a good run since the Lincoln Half for some reason. And yesterday just before I left work to do my run before getting my kids my mother in law and boss informed me that there is a company trip to the BAHAMA'S the last week of September into the first weekend of October. Which you may realize is WHEN I'M REGISTERED TO RUN A MARATHON! Crap. Crap. Crap!

I was pretty bummed I hadn't talked to my MIL before registering. I didn't think about that - but next time I do anything that takes a large committment you can bet I will be checking with my mother in law first to make sure there are no Carribean Vacations in our future!!! After I left work to go run I felt pretty let down. I had it all built up in my head that this was the race! I had tried and tried to actually talk myself OUT of running a full marathon this year. I kept saying I don't have time, I'm insane, I can't do this, this is a bad time, don't register. Yet I googled and googled and googled races and reviews and did research and asked other runners and I found the Twin Cities Marathon and it felt perfect. So after I got the OK from the hubbs I registered. I almost feel like there's a higher power at work telling me I should listen to that little voice saying I shouldn't run a full this year, I don't have time, I'm insane, I can't do this, this is a bad time! So I reflected on this conundrum during my run. Another bad run on a string of bad runs. It was hot. It was windy. (the weather channel said sustained winds of 30mph, w/ gusts of 55). But I did it ANYWAY! After googling some more... I found the Des Moines marathon.

The Des Moines Marathon is October 16th. It has some hills early in the race but many runners have commented they got a PR. (personal record). I'm not afraid of hills. I just don't want to run a "hilly" marathon. (which excludes Omaha all together). I'm not registering right away for the DM marathon but I have a feeling I will. Joe agreed it would be a lot more fun to go to the Bahamas then watch two kids alone while I went off to run a marathon alone. Two weeks later we could all make the short 2hr45min trip to Des Moines and this way I could have some fans cheering me on! After a while I started seeing this as possibly a good sign. Maybe God wasn't saying I should run a marathon... I just shouldn't run TCM. For whatever reason. But I can say I will enjoy being on the beach with my little ones and Joe and being able to play in the sand with them! My family makes me whole and I love building memories with them. I just can't pass up this chance. So my marathon training will actually start in two weeks! Which gives me a little more time to get my runs back to a good place.

I have a 10k race on Saturday morning. I am not looking forward to it actually. Mostly because I've had such a hard time with running lately. I know this race is HILLY. I ran it 2 years ago on a team and did pathetic. I think my time was 1:06:?? Which is bad. My last 10k finish time was 59:24. I will NOT be beating that time for a new PR. But I sure as hell better beat 1:06:??

But with all this complaining I keep on going. I don't know why. I think I just refuse to give up.

Just registered for my first Marathon!

I was reading an article titled "11 Keys for a successful marathon journey" http://www.active.com/running/Articles/11-Keys-for-a-Successful-Marathon-Journey.htm?cmp=1747 and in it it suggested keeping a journal or blog. So here we go.

Well to start at the beginning I started running in the winter of 2007. I was working at the local CBS affiliate as a photojournalist. I had lost 30lbs by working out at the gym and was getting bored. A co-worker suggested I train for a half marathon. I had literally not run a step. (though I ran the Steamboat 4mile race in 2003). It sounded like a nice change and so I did it. I registered. I had no idea what I was doing back then. All I did to train was print off a running schedule I had googled and put the daily miles on my refridgerator calendar. Every day I religiously stuck with it. I can vividly remember the terror I felt inside when I got to the day with the number FIVE on it. How could I ever run 5 miles? I had made a loup in my subdivision (that I still run!) and that loup is 1 mile. I did it once, twice, three times... the most I had done up to that point... as I kept on going I eventually finished my 5 mile "long run" for that week and I knew I could do the half marathon! The rest of the runs I did for that race don't particularly stand out in my memorie. But the feeling I had that day that I ran 5 miles is the feeling I am constantly chasing. 4 years later I'm after that same sence of accomplishment. That ability to show myself just what I CAN do.

Later that year I ran my second half marathon. My first half I had a finish time of 2:29:58. I had wanted to come in under 2 and a half hours and I just made it. My second finish was faster - though to this day I can't remember or find what it was. And it was then that I was blessed by my very first pregnancy. After I had my son Grant I was eager to get back into running. Knowing full well just how great running is for weight loss I wanted to run to get rid of the weight I gained during my pregnancy. (a shameful 60lbs, lol). Well I did it. I lost the weight and I ran my third half marathon in May of 2009, almost a full year after having my first baby. My finish time for that race was 2:21. Shortly after that I was blessed with pregnancy number two!

After I had my daughted I was even more obsessed with getting my running shoes on again. I hadn't gained as much weight so this time it was just all about my love for running. I realized its how I cope with stress the best. My daughter is stressful (God love her!). So I needed it badly, especially in those first few months after she was born. I decided of course that I would run the Lincoln Half Marathon again. I signed up for my fourth half marathon and began training in the winter of 2011. I found a few new running buddies (some are also mom's like me, who also work, go to school, etc). And I even ran a 10k in under one hour! I had never been concerned with my time. In fact, I was just extatic to finish. What my pace was was completely insignificant to me. So when I ran that 10k with under a 10min/mile pace I was asstonished. Another little running high was born and now a fast pace is something I am chasing. I was extra motivated to be fast for my fourth half marathon. I was able to reach a major PR (personal record) with a finish time of 2:08:16! That's a avg of 9:45min/mile!

As soon as the 2011 Lincoln Half was completed I was googling races like a lunatic. What should I run next? Should I do my 5th half and shoot for an under 2 hour finish time? Or is it time to finally do a full? I wanted to sign up for the Wine & Dine Disney Half Marathon on Oct 1st but it's expensive as all hell. (though, i will do that one when my kids are older). There's a half in Peoria (my hometown) in August. I would love to run on my home turf but I will have JUST gotten back from Jamaica the sunday before. I do not like the idea of getting back in the car to leave my children again. (mommy guilt is a bitch). There is the Vegas half & full in December and I toyed with doing that race. But I'd have to bring my children to Las Vegas with me. I'd also have to be a burdon (again) on my entire family - husband, kids, in-laws. I decided this wasn't the right fit either. I found about 20 marathons/half marathons around the time frame I wanted to run. I had to widdle them down by course. The Omaha Marathon would have been ideal but it's a hilly bastard that has actually been labled "brutal". (omaha is very hilly if you didn't know). There is a race in Northern IL that might work but yet again it just didn't feel right. Then boom I stumbled upon the Twin Cities Marathon. I had noticed it before but hadn't really focused on it. But when I read it I realized it had everything I wanted. It got incredible reviews online. Someone said they had run 17 marathons and this is their favorite. Someone else said it should be on every marathoner's bucket list. Someone else said they are trying to do all 50 states (a marathon goal I've heard ppl talk about) marathons so they can't do this one again anytime soon but if they were to do ANY of their marathons again... this would be it! Add to all of that lots of comments about amazing race support/crowd support, it's well organized, has great accomidations and the runners expo is apparently amazing. So I decided this was it. My answer was to run a full and not another half. This really is the perfect time for me to do a full. I can use the momentum I have built up from the Lincoln half and go with it.

I registerd for the Twin Cities Marathon this morning. I was actually shaking when I typed in my CC info. I'm incredibly nervous. How the fuck am I going to run 26.2 miles? How? Well I ran 5 miles 4 years ago. If I can do that, I can do anything right? So I will remind myelf of Kara Goucher's (olympic marathoner) mantra.. "I am not afraid". I am not afraid... I am not afraid... I am not afraid...

Training starts on Monday.

Christmas 2010

Our Christmas this year went very well. Aside from getting snowed out from traveling to Illinois for the second year in a row! But we will be going to celebrate Christmas with my family this weekend (over the new years holiday) instead. I suppose I can't be too bummed about extending the Christmas festivities another week, can I?! I'm really looking forward to drowning my sorrows in a bowl of clam dip as soon as I get to my moms though! Well... when I get there I won't have sorrows to drown anymore but whatever... I'm going to eat all the clam dip so help me God!

We all got spoiled on Christmas this year! Grant got lots of fun toys. He got lots of books, a Lightning McQueen car that talks & lights up, an excavator that he calls "estimator" because he can't say excavator. He got lots of goodies. Penny got a little play kitchen, some new clothes, books, and a few little toys she can also chew on (gotta love teething!). Joe got me a guitar this year and I got him some new lounge clothes. We're going to Vegas in a few weeks for our first vacation (just the two of us) since we went to Mexico in 2007. I can't wait! I am going to sleep, and sleep, and sleep, and shop, maybe eat, and then sleep some more! I got a gift card to the spa at the hotel we're staying at (the Aria hotel & casino) so I can't wait to get a massage, facial, & mani-pedi! Talk about the best Christmas gift EVER! I'll do that between naps of course.

Grant has been a wonderful little guy lately. He's working on potty training! I'm thankful for 'cars' themed pull-ups! The other day he was standing by the Christmas tree looking focused on something... then he looks at me and says "I went potty on Guido". haha... (guido is a character from 'cars' that is on his pull-ups). But we read lots of potty books and he gets skittles for going on the big boy potty! He's not ready to wear underwear yet but we're working towards that! Right now he is loving building blocks and watching "Credibles" (the incredibles movie).

Penny has had a cold for about 4 weeks now, poor girl! I took her to the Dr's a few days ago and they said she has a sinus infection. They put her on antibiotics - which I've heard horror stories about w/ the MSPI - so I've been dreading this. So far it's going okay. She's spitting up quite a bit more than normal (which was already a ton). But she's not unhappy. She sounds like Darth Vader when she breathes so I hope this antibiotic clears that up soon! It sounds uncomfortable. Otherwise she's a happy little lady! She's SOOOO close to crawling! She really gets her knees under her body and scoots where she wants to go but she's not up on all fours yet. It seems like she's crawling so early! But she can pretty much get where she wants to without any trouble. She also loves to be hugged these days! She's lifting her arms up to you when you come to her to tell you to pick her up. She will wrap her arms around your neck and hug you... I just LOVE that! She likes to grab fistfulls of my hair in the process so that's not always great but I'll take a hug from my girl whenever I can get it! :)

Both kids are doing great so I really can't complain. I'm getting worried about my classes next semester! I looked at one sylabus so far and it was like 10 pages long. I nearly shit a brick. I have to comment on ceratin threads on the website for participation points! Jeepers! Does this teacher not get that we're all taking this class on line so we don't have to participate?? haha. Guess not. It's "Psychology of Adolecents" so I'm pretty sure it'll be interesting enough. I hope I get A's again! It feels good to prove to myself something I've been suspecting for some time.... I'm really fackin' smart!

So aside from gearing up for round 2 of Christmas, Vegas Vacation, and Spring semester things are pretty chill and relaxed around here. I hope Penny's sinus infection goes away soon and that Grant doesn't get sick. He just finished a round of his own antibiotics from a double ear infection. (he said he had a tractor in one ear and a train in the other. They're gone now though, according to him the antibiotics worked).

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving was great this year! It was nice to be in Nebraska actually. I was glad that we only had to drive 30 minutes to Joe's parents house. I hate traveling all the way to IL on Thanksgiving b/c the roads are so freakin' busy. We had a nice relaxing time with the fam. Grant played with his Lightning McQueen car that Gma & Gpa bought him. It's one of those that has a ginormous battery and he pushes a peddle to drive it around... he LOVES it. He also found an old Monster Truck toy that was Joe's when he was a kid. Grant loved watching that thing drive over stuff. It would even drive over GRANT when he was laying down on the floor. He laughed his butt off. He calls it "monster truck mater". I guess it's Mater from the "Cars" movie. He has a short DVD of "Maters Tall Tales" and one of the tall tales is called "Monster Truck Mater".

Penny had a great Thanksgiving but had a really bad black friday! She had a bad tummy ache and diarea all day long. I think it had to have been from the well water at Gma & Gpa's house. I made a few bottles for her on Thanksgiving w/ their water and that's the ONLY thing I can think of that was different for her. Joe thinks this is totally possible that something in the water upset her MSPI. Probably not any actual milk or soy but she's bothered by LOTS of things. It could be too much rust for all I know. Anyway, it made for a bad Friday and I felt bad for Penny. She was unconsolable and upset a lot of the day and I just hate when she gets like that because you can't help her really. :( But she was feeling better by Friday night.

Saturday I went to Des Moines for my annual Christmas shopping trip w/ my mom & sister. We always meet out there. It's like 1/2 way for both of us so it works out really well. I got a lot of shopping done! I hope to finish it up this week. Penny and Grant went to Gma & Gpa Schulz's house and had a great time. Penny was much happier that day I heard.

We still have to go pick out a tree. We plan to do that this weekend. I'm not sad that we're getting it a week later than normal b/c I think this year it's going to be interesting to see if Grant messes with the tree or not. I'm pretty sure he will. He messes w/ everything else, why not the tree? I imagine he'll have a blast taking all the decorations off of it... should be a fun month! lol!!! :) He's an awesome kiddo and I absolutely adore him but he's also... two.

I don't mean to brag but...

SOOOOOOO I've been taking my one masters class and doing pretty well in it. I have to write an essay about every 10 days or so. My last essay took my prof forever to grade and I was getting paranoid that it sucked. I know you won't understand the details of this "feedback" my prof left me but you'll get the gist... summed up it basically says "you're awesome". Here's my 'feedback'...

Grade : 15 out of 15
Comments : Bryanne-The purpose of Assignment E is to encourage you to think about what should be about teaching rather than what is. We go through life being told to “be realistic. Take things as they are.” In many instances, this is good guidance. Yet, in teaching, if we are not careful, we succumb to “what is,” to the “real” and give up on the ideal, such as facilitative teaching and life-long learning, ideals to be sought, if never fully achieved. Your essay "Imagine" had a singing quality. I thought of John Lennon's song, "Imagine" where he asks us to imagine a world where everybody lives in peace and harmony. Ah, ha, you're using a metaphor to develop your subject, facilitative teaching, by way of the two metaphors and what they mean to you. The story about your Grandmother (sage on the stage) and Mother (Guide on the Side) was right on target. Also, two of your colleagues in the class mentioned experiences with their children and how they were challenged to put educational theory into practice in the real world of family. Needless to say, this is your best essay! Well done. Dr. Garcia

Yeah. I'm awesome. haha.

I'm about to go register for next semester. I cant decide if I'm going to take two or three classes. Do I want to get done w/ this masters program in 3 years and go senile in the process or get done in 3+ years? Hmmm... that's a tough one.

OK. Enough about me and back to my regular blog about the kids...
We just took a road trip to IL for faux thanksgiving and it was a doozy! Grant no longer sleeps well in the car. Both to and from IL he only took a 20min nap and woke up SCREAMING. Why? I have no idea. But it was not fun. And I can't get in the back seat easily... the car seats take up so much damn space! So I have to squeeze my ass between them and have my body turned to one side. That's comfy! But thank God for the car DVD player!!!! That was seriously helpful!

Grant is seriously a genius I'll have you know. He was playing w/ those letter magnets you put on the fridge and I picked up the letter G and said 'do you know what letter this is?" and he goes "G for Grant". I was totaly impressed but decided to try another letter... I picked up the letter E and asked if he knew what that one was, he said "G for Ebony". Okay... it's not a G but he knew it was an E b/c he said EBONY (a girl in his class at daycare). I picked up the letter J and he said "G for Jetta" (another girl in his class). I picked up the N and he said "G for Noah". So he was stuck on the letter G but he KNEW what each letter was for names of people in his class! He went on to say "G for Sammy" when I picked up the S, "G for Hunter", w/ the H, and he did the letter R as well but I forget what the name was. Anyway... this is some impressive shit for a 2.5 year old you know!!! He talks better than most 3 or 4 year olds and the kid is about ready to start reading for Pete's sake! haha. So... that was more bragging. :)

Penny looks really cute in a dress. :) That's my bragging for her. haha. She'll be a genius too. A well dressed one.

Tootsie Roll

It's been a while since I blogged last and I have lots to say! The kiddo's have been up to some amusing antix. Penny is officially rolling over. Has been for a month now actually - she started that at 4mo old. The bad news about that though is that she rolls over and then realizes she doesn't want to be on her stomach... so she gets all cranky. So every evening Joe & I take turns rolling her back over while we make dinner. Seriously it's like every minute she rolls over. Then gets mad. I'm pretty sure she's working on teeth as well. I don't see any coming through perse but she is drueling like mad and chews on everything. I took a video last night of her going to town on her plastic giraffe, I'll post it on FB later. It's especially cute when she pulls her feet up to her face and start to chew on her big toe. Grant did that too. She is so flipping cute! She likes to suck her thumb and hold something soft up to her nose...which is EXACTLY what Grant does w/ his blanket... so it's just a matter of time before she finds her 'lovey' (her favorite soft blanket or toy to use while thumb sucking). She'll use anything at this point. Heck she'll use the sock while it's still on her foot!! haha. It's the funniest thing to see... she is sucking her thumb on her right hand and w/ her left hand she's got her left foot up by her face and her sock is pulled almost off her foot and she's touching it up to her nose. Kids are funny! Grant didn't really clame a 'lovey' until he was about 15mo old. I remember we were in Atlantic City on vacation when we realized he HAD to have the white blanket w/ the pieces of yarn on it. The lady who made that blanket for Grant made one for Penny too... I keep giving it to her just incase she's on the same path as Grant and will like the yarn... anyway... rambling...

Other stuff I want to jot down:
I'm really excited to take Grant to see Santa this year! I think he might not cry! We've already started talking about how you tell Santa what you really want and if you're nice he'll bring it to you. So hopefully when we see Santa he will be able to tell him what he wants. Last year he just cried. But it was ok because there was no one else in line so Santa started reading Grant a book and Grant calmed down. Never did say what he wanted Santa to bring him but that's fine. He wasn't even 18mo old then. But this year he will TOTALLY get it! Presents are the SH*T! right now so... haha.

Well next month I'll get to start trialing food w/ Penny. Normal, non-mspi babies are eating rice cereal by now. But we have to wait until she's about 9mo to try rice cereal. At 6mo we can trial veggies very slowely. Normal kids you try one thing and wait 3 days to see if they have a 'reaction' but w/ the mspi babies you have to wait 6 days. I'm going to start w/ sweet potatoes on December 8th! I can't wait. She sits w/ us in her high chair at dinner and watches all of us eat. She even watches Grant. I have no idea what she's thinking or if she's thinking 'i want some' but I kind of feel a little guilty eating in front of her! haha.

This weekend is faux thanksgiving in IL and I got cute outfits for the kids to wear. We'll be doing a fun family pic. Actually we are surprising my mom w/ a prof photographer to come take pictures for her and that'll be her Christmas present from all of us kids(&grandkids). Should be fun! I hope we get some good pics! Evertime I schedule pictures for my family I fear a repeat of Sears 2009. lol.