Marathon Training Blues

I added a new spring widget that gives a countdown to the Madison Marathon, which I am registered for. I would like to put it on the side of the page, but am having trouble figuring out how to do that, but I will try. Anyway, I still have over 80 days, which is nice, because the past two weeks have been difficult.

Let me talk a little bit about my training. My goal, what I aim for, is to run 5 days a week. One day of hills, one day of a short fast run, one day of an easy longer run (4-7 miles), one day of close to 10 miles, then one day where I increase by one mile each week until I get to 20, which is my longest run.

I don't fully expect to run 5 days a week. In fact, rarely does that happen. I am a mother, wife, and many other things before I am a runner. Having said that, I do love to run and I do have a schedule that usually allows for an early afternoon run.

As mentioned, the past two weeks have been rather challenging. Last week, my long run was 13 miles, which really isn't that crazy, but it was a cold day. I got all bundled up, and headed out. It started pretty good, but after a couple of miles in, I had to use the bathroom. Nothing bad, just a little too much water. I stopped at my friend Tiffany's house to use her bathroom. After a quick bathroom break, I was on my way.

(Warning: This might get a little gross.)I kept running along and my nose was really runny. Typically, when that happens while running, I blow my nose in my sleeves. Yes. I know. It's gross, but I have to admit, I kind of feel tough when I do it. Anyway, this time I did it and my nose ring got caught in the fleece jacket I was wearing and fell out. I was running along on a gravel shoulder which made finding a nose ring impossible.

I looked for a while in the cold until an unbelievable wave of diarrhea came over me. I quickly ran to the nearest gas station (coincidentally it was the Marathon station) and used their bathroom. Thanks Marathon! It is very difficult to run 3 more miles in the cold, after diarrhea, but I did it, with a whole lot of prayer involved! Not the best 13 miles, but I did it.

This past week, my long run was 14 miles. There was a snowstorm on Saturday, so I did it on Sunday. I used my Camel Backpack which is a little backpack that you wear filled with water. My plan was to drink some water after I had some gel (gel gives you energy after you have been running for a while) around the 7 mile mark. It was cold again so I really had to bundle up.

This run started out great. I felt really good the whole time. When 7 miles approached, I opened my gel, and went to drink my water, but it was frozen. I can't tell you how upset I was about this. That gel, makes you so thirsty. I couldn't believe my water was frozen. Anyway, I wasn't going to let this get me down and I kept on going.

I kept running along smoothly, until I hit 12.5 miles. I turned the corner and slipped on the ice and fell. It was horrible. Again, I got up and I finished the run.

I haven't been running since Sunday. I was planning to run yesterday, but Ryan really needed sleep and rest and my schedule at work didn't allow for a daytime run. I was going to run 10 miles today, but my fever isn't cooperating with me. I know that it will get better, and I will be able to do this marathon, I just have a case of the marathon training blues! But I think I ordered something to help me out of the blues. More on that later.

The Domes

We spent Valentine's Day at the Domes. They have an amazing Lego exhibit that we spent over an hour looking at. Here are some pictures.

Down for the Count

Last Friday, Mally's teacher came into my office and said she was acting a little funny. I took her temperature and it was over 104. We canceled all weekend plans and stayed home with her. She still had a fever on Monday, so Ryan stayed home with her. Monday night I came home and Ryan was ready for bed, at 4:30! Mally stayed home with him yesterday and today she went back to school.

I have never seen Ryan so sick and even Mally said, "Daddy's really crabby when he is sick. At least I smile when I'm sick." This morning, I looked at Ryan's throat and it had white puss balls everywhere. He went to the doctor today and he has strep.

I had a big night planned as well, but now I have a fever. I guess it gives me a chance to update my blog!

New SpringWidget

Get this widget!

I love this man!

He is the best, and today, he is sick:(

Reusable Bags

My friend Tracie posted this on her award winning blog and I just love it so I thought I would post it on mine to see as well. Thanks Tracie!

http://feedprojects.org/content.asp?tid=16

Finally

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/02/21/washington/AP-Chandra-Levy.html?partner=rss

What were we thinking?

Meyer's Room

A while back, when I was pregnant with Mally, we worked hard to transform my husband's old childhood bedroom, into our son's room. We had ideas of what we wanted it to look like and we had dreams that our son would gaze upon the maps and become curious of the world. It is very satisfying to post this picture.



At school, he has been studying all of the continents and countries. He has mastered the 7 continents, North America, South America, and he is now working on Europe. I took this picture the other night when I went to check on him and he was studying the countries in Europe.

I think I have explained the enormity of mastering a country, but here is a refresher. He has to memorize all of the countries in the continent, then punch out each country with a pencil like object, then assemble it properly on a large piece of construction paper. It's a huge deal. And, he loves doing it.

Highlights from Meyer's Belt Test

Meyer had another belt test on Friday and now has his orange belt. He was so happy and excited about passing. He really works hard and tries his best. We are so proud of him. Here are some highlights.



Here is Meyer working on his sit-ups. He may have used his hands to help him up, but at least he worked hard. He has been practicing with me at night, on the rare occasion that I actually do sit-ups!



Here is Meyer getting his new orange belt.

We are in Trouble!

This is Mally with her first crush. He goes to school with her and when he comes around, she turns red. He is a sweet boy, if I do say so myself. She wrote him a letter and drew some pictures for him. Yes, at four, she is boy crazy. Luckily, she is crazy about us as well.

Meyer's First Chapter Book

Meyer finished his first chapter book tonight. Amazingly, he began it yesterday. The book was Life With Dick and Jane. It has 198 pages, granted, there are not too many words on the page. I am so proud of him, but more importantly, he is so proud of himself. The look on his face when he finished was priceless.

Meyer's Lego Ship

Ok, so the imaging is horrible, but look at that ship he built. He did this sans instructions. Just sat down, and created a ship. I was impressed.

I am strong.

Meyer and Mally are playing legos right now. I took a break from playing with them to share this story.

The arm of one of Meyer's lego characters fell off. It's super easy to put back on. It's basically like connecting two legos. It was certainly a task that he could have done if he wanted to but he didn't ask me if I could fix it, he asked this:

"Mommy, do you think you are strong enough to fix my lego guy?"

I wanted to answer, "Are you kidding me? Oscar (our dog) probably could fix that." Instead, I replied, "I think so."

Of course, I fixed it and he said, "Wow. All of your exercises are really making you strong."

"Thanks for noticing, Meyer."

It's a lot better than the tofu belly comment I received a few weeks ago!

It is nice when they notice little things like that. Even yesterday, Mally gave me an up and down look and said, "I really like your outfit, Mom."

Anyway, back to legos!

Oh My Word!

January 13th? That was the last time I wrote an entry? Oops. I am so sorry. Hmmm. Here is what we have been up to:

1. I spent a wonderful four weekend away with amazing women at my friend Tracie's cabin. We woke up, ate an amazing breakfast, talked, then it was lunch, then we played games, then it was time for appetizers, then we talked some more, then it was dinner, then dessert, then we talked some more. If it sounds like all we did was eat, talk, sleep, read, that's because it's all we did. However, I did manage to sneak in a few quick runs.

2. I have been super busy at work. There was a big licensing project that took me a week to complete, but I am done. Now, I am on to enrollment, and planning a huge silent auction/wine tasting. When I get home, all I want to do is snuggle and play with the kids.

3. I have been running. I am registered for a marathon. More on that another day.

4. The kids and I have been busy playing. Oh, how I love to play with these kids of mine! Meyer loves to play legos and he is so good at it. He builds and builds and builds. Seriously, the things he builds are fantastic. He build rockets and boats that I couldn't dream of building.

He has also really been really into The Guinness Book of World Records (GBRR), the upgraded version complete with 3D glasses. He loves to read this book and it is hilarious. He will bust out random things like, "Do you think I could get in the GBRR for using the most yellow in a picture?" Or, I will ask him, "Do you think we should grow out your nails so you can be in the GBRR?" To which he replies, "Someone already has that record, Mom."

I am also teaching him chess, which is awesome. He knows all of the pieces, where they belong, and how they move. He is now developing some strategy. He also loves his Nintendo DS and playing Super Mario Brothers. I like to play it as well!

Mally has the most incredible imagination. Lately, she has been setting up our house as a Montessori School, complete with different work areas. Some of the work areas that she has set up have been napkin decorating, learning letter sounds and writing letters, staying in the lines when you color, putting clothes on Barbie, cutting hearts, and a reading area. She set out these little work stations all over the house and Ry and I were the students. She gave us lessons on each of these. It was fantastic.

She has been playing birthday party with her babies as well. I wish I had the technology to upload some of the pictures that she has been drawing for these party cards. I will ask Ryan about it when he gets home. Anyway, she finds gifts, wraps them, then puts gives them to her babes (as she calls them). She also pretends to be married and play dress up.

My favorite family activity is dance party, which we have been doing a lot of lately! It always happens in the kitchen and we put on some great music and dance. Meyer and I actually developed a routine! It is pretty sweet. We were at a birthday party over the weekend which had dancing to disco music and the kids wouldn't dance. When I got home and asked them why they weren't dancing, they said, "That wasn't dancing music." It was pretty funny.

Anyway, if you are still hanging on despite my lack of entries to this blog, I thank you and promise my entries will be more frequent. If I can make time for Facebook, I can make time for this blog.