This and that

Hello Blog wold!!!

It's been all work no play lately. I took the week off from running. Partly because I'm still getting use to my new schedule, partly because the weather went to crap, and partly because my sinuses have been kicking my butt.

Right now, I'm taking advantage of the awesome and free internet at Mom's On The Green. I can't wait for some chicken tenders!

In other news, my friend and new coworker Karen has decided that she wants to run a 5K. Or maybe I decided it for her? That's neither here nor there.

Also, I think I want to run the Heels and Hills half with Angie and we can both get a 2:10.

Rock and Roll Dallas, in a nutshell

I just had my best race ever!

1st, it was cool that I got to run with my dad. 2nd, it was unexpected that keeping up with my dad would be challenging and eventually push me to a personal best.

The course was flat which was nice, and it's the first time that I have ever run a race that had a separate start and finish. We began in downtown and ended in fair park around the Starplex (or whatever it's called these days) and the ferris wheel.

Typically my goal in a race is to remain constant and comfortable. It became immediately apparent that this race would be different. As soon as our wave let out, my dad took off like lightning. I was momentarily trapped behind four people, bobbing and weaving to catch up. We finished our first mile in 9 minutes. I said "I think we're going too fast. That was a 9 min mile." to which he responded "That's good!"



We maintained a pretty consistent 10 min p/m pace until around mile 7 when we lost a little steam. But we sure as hell made up for that in miles 10,11, and 12.

We took our last walking break at the drink stop at 11 and at mile 12 dad says "lets for 2:10!" and took off again! I really don't know how he was doing it. My inflated ego wouldn't admit to it during the race but I was struggling to keep up. However my inflated ego is the only thing that prevented me from being left in his dust. I gave it all I had in that last mile and just as we crossed the finish line, I thought that all I had was going to come up and out all over the finish corral. I really felt I might hurl.



But we ended up with a 2:11:39!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could not be any more proud of that time!!!


Thanks Dad for a fun race!!!

Angie also ran fantastically well. Angie came in at 2:16 and while I do not what Doug's time was, I do know that he finished strong, throwing punches as he crossed the finish line.

The 411

The past week has been pure craziness! I arrived in Texas on Friday. We hung out with family on Saturday and Sunday. I filled out paperwork for daycare, went on an interview, and took my husband to the airport on Monday. That last one was hard. Then on Tuesday I started my new job.

My old routine was to wake up when the kids woke up. Lazily make my way down to the kitchen, make them breakfast, make me some coffee and then casually proceed with all the cleaning as I chose. My new routine is waking up to the sound of my alarm at 5am, getting myself dressed, literally drag the kids out of bed to get them dressed and at daycare by 6 fallowed by an hour commute to Dallas. After work, I battle traffic back to the country, pick up the kids and we all start the process of getting ready for bed.

This first week was a little rough. Especially on Wednesday when my son spent all night puking. But I'm getting use to it and I'm really liking my job. I've finally joined the rest of the 9-5ers out there. My office is only a few step away from a jogging path, restaurants, and shops. Spending so little time with kids is really difficult. I had so much control over everything they did before. I can't use my cloth diapers anymore :( and for two years that was a big part of who I was.

I saw on another running blog where someone said something like "the only way to get better is to push yourself past the point of being comfortable."

I'm sure things will get more comfortable as I get better acquainted with my new self. One thing I really miss right now is my tight family unit. It's not the same with our fourth all the way out in the east.

Confessonal Friday

I'm Back!!! My husband sent my computer to me from Charlotte and it arrived yesterday. I still haven't been able to get online much though. The connection at my Dad's place doesn't reach all the way out to my "bungalo".

My confessions? Well, my diet has been crap lately. Eating out constantly and it's never healthy. I also haven't been running much. I'm still getting familiar with my new lifestyle and schedule so running has been temporarily placed on a back burner.

In other news, it is officially official that I am registered for the Rock and Roll Dallas half marathon! My race number is 8859. I can't wait to show my Dad who's really the faster Bailey.

That's all for now. I'm at Shanon's house and I'm supposed to be visiting but I'm actually stealling her internet.

Confessional Friday, except it's not Friday at all

I just got to Texas on Friday and guess what? Best Buy called yesterday, two days after we left Charlotte, to tell us that my computer is fixed and ready for pick up. Fantastic timing Douche Buy! You couldn't fix my sh@# 2 days quicker. So now I have to wait for my husband to get back to Charlotte and mail me my computer. So I'll be out offline until then. Booooo!

So, onto my confessions. I ran 4 slow, walky miles on Saterday.... and that's it. I have done nothing else. Also, my new years resolution was to not eat fast food for the entire year. I broke that resolution somwhere around Nashville-ish TN. We stopped for gas and there stood Arby's. I inhaled that Beef-n-Chedder in well under 3 minutes, and it was soooo delicious.

that's all I've got. BTW, spell check doesn't seem to be working and I'm not in the mood to proof read right now.

When I rejoin the rest of the civilized world, I'll post some pics of Bithcy Angie successfully removing a hook from a live fish. Way to go Ang!

Where I've Been; See ya round Charlotte

It's short and sweet today. I have compiled a slide show of all the things that I've done and will miss here in the Carolina's.

Wrapping my head around things

I haven't been on a run since Sunday. I've already accepted that I probably won't be running much, or at all, this week. I leave for Texas in two days and I still haven't packed anything. I am currently working on getting every spec of laundry cleaned and put in it's proper place so I can find it when I start packing. Then there are things like, which kids toys to take, I need a coffee press, a wine glass(es) and an opener (priorities). Everything that I'll be living with for the next 5 months will have to fit into a Honda Fit (ha! fit, Fit). I also need a 5 month supply of Trader Joe's food. I seriously might cry the first time I enter a Kroger. NOTHING can replace my beloved TJ's.

As much as I can't wait to get back home, I really will miss the city that I have called home for the past 2 1/2 years.

What I WON'T miss about Charlotte

• Stupid chain restaurants. This is actually something that Dallas and Charlotte have in common.
• Not having any kind of support system, like grandparents, to give us a break from the kids.
• My primary social circle knowing me first and foremost as "Brad's wife".
• The fact that you can not make left hand turns anywhere! This is the land of concrete medians and u turns.
• Hanging out by myself 90% of the time.

What I WILL miss about Charlotte

• The Greenway. This is such an active City. It's common to cyclists and joggers every day of the week, and thus, cars are very aware of our presence. As for the Greenway, I will never have another jogging path that is this convenient and beautiful.
• The mountains. My paradise lies only 2 hours away.
• My Starbucks crew. I had such an awesome time working there.
• Run For Your Life. My go to running store.
• Not having a support system. It really sucked at times, but our little family of four has become a completely self reliant, tightly knit group and I am very afraid of losing that cohesiveness.
• Trader Joe's. I don't want to talk about it. I may burst into tears.
• The opportunity for experience. It hasn't always been good, but I got live in a different landscape and do some things that I otherwise would not have.

I gotta get back to not packing.

Too Hard

There are lots of valid reasons for quitting and not completing a task or accomplishing a goal. However, the task or goal being "too hard" is not a good one.

Yesterday I took the kids out to Latta Plantation. It's a free (I love free!) nature reserve/park on a lake with some trails and areas for picnicking. The kids fell asleep in the car on the way there which isn't really a good thing. They woke up when we arrived and were in a rotten mood. I brought their fishing poles with only bobbers attached and I brought their bikes. I thought the paved walkways around the picnic area would be great for some bike riding lessons. I really want them to learn so they go on runs with me.

Alaurie rode her bike for all of 20 seconds. The slight decline in the parking lot caused the bike to move slightly on its own and this frightened her (Ugh!). Both kids preferred to just carry their poles and walk down to the water. We came to a fork in the path. Braden, for unknown reasons, insisted that we go right. Meanwhile Alaurie was already headed left to the clearly visible waters edge, and I was standing in between them carrying two small bikes. Braden began crying (screaming) because we wouldn't go his way. Then I said "fine then. This is obviously not going to work, so we may as well just go home!" Braden said ok, stopped crying and turned right around to go to the car. He can be a real buzz kill when he's tired. It was at that moment that Alaurie began crying (loudly). She was really looking forward to fishing. It was at this moment, with everyone staring at my unruly children, that I thought "This is too hard. Why did I think this would be fun?" But I had already made the trip out there and, damn it, we were going to enjoy ourselves!

I dropped the bike, grabbed the boy like a sack of potatoes and dragged him screaming down to the lake shore. I threw his line in the water, showed him how to reel it in, and what do ya know?! He stopped crying and started having a great time. We ended up having a really wonderful afternoon. That's right. This badass mom powered through the crash and burn, complete with the judging stares of strangers, to a successful day of "fishing".

This obviously isn't the hardest thing that I've done, but the most recent example of a task that could have easily been given up on. I have to keep these small successes in mind the next time that I come face to face with a large challenge. Like say, mile 17 of last years Chicago marathon. I was swearing out loud at that point. Or maybe moving across the country to live in a one room cabin by myself with both kids. I'll elaborate on that last one at another time. It's temporary.

"Too hard" is for weak minded wussy's.

Confesional Friday; Opinionated me

I have to confess that I'm a little opinionated. My friend Shanon is one of those people who just doesn't share the same passions that I do and sometimes I find myself thinking "WTF?! How does she not think that's totally phenomenal?!"

Just the other day, I asked her if she wanted to run a warrior dash with me. To this she responded "Hell, no. I'm not paying that to run. That's expensive". I couldn't understand this mind set at all. First, I'm almost certain that $55 will be the least expensive race that I register for all year. And second, it's the Warrior Dash! It's people dressed up, beer, mud, fire, live music and an all around awesome time! But that's just my opinion and sometimes I have a hard time accepting that my opinion is not always shared by everyone else. On the flip side, Shanon is a member at her local gym, to which I respond "Hell no. I'm not paying monthly to work out. That's expensive". Shanon is far more mellow than I, thus, I'm sure she views treadmills, elliptical, and stationary bikes as calm, relaxing calorie burners. I, on the other hand, view these same items as monotonous torture machines.

Ultimately, we both work out because we like the way it makes us feel. I don't know about Shanon, but I can become a raging bitch if it's been too long since I got the endorphins pumping. We part ways when it comes to the preferred venue, and that's OK. She likes the stable reliability and amenities that a gym can offer. I like the constant change in scenery and connection with my environment and local community (I'm kind of a hippie) that being outdoors can offer.

Shanon and I may not ever be Best Running Buddies, but we're still concert buddies, gossip buddies, and somewhat drinking buddies (although we can't hang like we used to).

So it's ok Shan. You don't have to share my love of "competitive" running. It will just be one more thing that we bicker about in our old age. Other things Shanon and I disagree on would be hatchback cars, lady gaga, running skirts and sushi.

Are you opinionated like me? Do you have a best friend who is your total opposite? I think it makes things way more fun.

Where I've Been; Myrtle Beach SC

It might be a little early, but I'm in the mood for the beach! Last year I went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina... twice.

The first time I took on the challenge of a 3 day 2 night camping trip, by myself, with the kids and both dogs. My husband was in Chicago for work and I didn't want to just sit around the house. I browsed around for campgrounds which were all relatively expensive. Most of what I found were actually more like RV resorts than campgrounds. I finally found the Myrtle Beach State Park and it was amazing! Not only was it at least $30 cheaper than any other site, it was also bigger and more beautiful. The state park is a great place for family camping. They have a camp store that keeps regular business hours and came in very handy when a raccoon stole our marshmallows on the first night. They also have two playgrounds located just off the beach, which was not crowded at all. Since dogs can't go onto the beach until after 5, we would go to the beach early in the morning and leave the dogs at camp for just a couple of hours. Then we would come back to the tent, get the dogs and hang out on the playground until the after noon, then it was back to the beach for a nice walk with the dogs. There were, of course, a few moments when I thought to myself "why the hell did I think this was a good idea?", but those moments were rare. After a day full of fun and sun, the kids would easily fall asleep and they slept hard. Also, the park rangers were fantastic. They knew I was alone and came by to check on me often. One of them even helped me when I was having some trouble with one of my lanterns. I also received help from some college campers next door. They actually taught me a better way to build a fire (another thing I was having trouble with). The kids kept telling me "this is the best camping trip ever!" and I was so glad that we did it.

I was so glad, in fact, that a month later I went back! This time the whole family was together and we took some friends. This time we opted for the KOA vs the state park. We wanted to stay in a cabin and since the state park doesn't allow dogs in their cabins it was out. But no big deal, the KOA was awesome. The cabin was really small (basically a wooden tent) but it was air conditioned and was a good place to leave the dogs during the day when we were at the beach. The KOA is not for those who want to "rough it". They have tons of amenities! A dog park, 3 playgrounds, a splash park, and a badass bounce pillow. The last two items were a huge hit with the adults... oh, and the kids liked it too. The KOA is closer to the strip so the beach was much more crowded than at the state park, but the plus side is that there are lots of restaurants and activities close by.

I really loved it at Myrtle Beach. Since moving to North Carolina, going to the ocean had been on my list and I definitely made that happen last year. Plus, I got to experience two different sections. Tent camping with kids was great, but I also enjoyed the conveniances that the KOA offered.

9:30 miles? For real?!

Yesterday, Dailymile said the pace for my 3 mile run was 9:07. That's believable. It was a short run and I pushed hard at the end. Today I ran my 5 mile loop in 48 minutes. Dailymile actually maps this route as 5.27 miles which would have made my pace 9:06. That seemed impossible so I shortened the mileage to just 5 miles which put my pace at 9:36. That still seems crazy! These are pretty fast times for me. It makes me really excited about Chicago, because if I can just maintain any pace under 11 min, I'll blow my previous time out of the water!

I still don't know though. All I have to go by is my ipod stop watch function combined with google maps. Could I really be getting this fast (fast for me)?

Mundane Monday

It is yet another boring day where the kids and I hang out and they do their best to destroy the entire house. I got in a 3 mile run so my mood is good.

I realized something today. The muscles around my ankles are no longer getting sore after every run. Finally! A year after getting my first pair of minimalist shoes, my legs have adjusted to the change in stride. That seems like a long time, but just as I have been doing with the Vibrams, I only ran in the Nike's a couple of times a week in the beginning.

According to Dailymile.com my pace today was 9:07. That was with a 5min/1min, run/walk. I know there are a lot of run/walk nay sayers out there, but I swear my times are faster when I mix in a little bit of walking. I don't know that I'll ever try to run an entire marathon without a walking break. I think I would break down mentally, knowing that I have xx amount of miles to go before I get a break. But with the run/walk I only have to get through the next five minutes (I'm hoping to increase the running spans to something around 7-10 minutes before October). However, I think running (no walking) through all of my short runs the past few weeks has been helping. 5 minutes is nothing compared to 40.

Confesional Friday

It's Friday and the first official day of a big sales event at my husbands job. Booooo! This means that long hours are in store for my husband and it is likely that this will encroach on my running time. Maybe not, but probably.

My diet was terrible this week. It included birthday cake, and beer, and pork tacos, and chicken with dumplings. None of it was healthy, but it was all delicious. I'm hoping to get in a longer run today. We'll see. It depends on when hubby gets home to take over kid duty. He's been at work since around 6 this morning so I feel bad running out the door as soon as he gets here.

My new computer crapped out today. I have no idea what happened. It just suddenly started saying "hard disk failed". I haven't even downloaded anything to it (I take that back. I downloaded firefox, chrome, free avg, spibot, adaware and itunes)! WTF?! It was working fine, then I shut it down, took a bath, came back, and "hard disk failure".

What was your week like? Any tech advice for me? Am I screwed? Does this computer just suck or something? It's an HP mini. That's reputable right?

Clean house, good kids, good run

Today has been exceptional. I managed to keep the house clean all day and the kids voluntarily put themselves down for a nap. Fantastic!

On the running side of things, I went for a 4 mile run today at a slow pace. I added one more mile to my vibrams and they still felt really good. On the down side, I forgot to apply body glide and am now paying for it.

In other news, I think I want to do the warrior dash in Dallas, but I'm still waiting on my sister in law to email me back on whether or not she has signed up and which day she signed up for. Holla back Angie! Also, my dad emailed me and asked if I wanted to do the Rock n Roll half in Dallas. I told him that I would if he paid for it. I know that's cheap, but well, I'm cheap. We'll see what comes of it.

Where I've been

Last night I was in a bar singing Loretta Lynn songs. It is a rare occasion that my husband and I get to leave behind our two little responsibilities and take our maturity level down a few notches. Last night we called our favorite sitter and headed out. First we had sushi. I tasted octopus, soft shell crab, mackerel, and snapper for the first time. Then we walked over to a place called Bad Dogs. We had only planned to have a few drinks with a few friends that met up with us. To my utter surprise and excitement, our random Tuesday celebration happen to coincide with Bad Dogs karaoke night! I love karaoke and feel that I don't get the opportunity to showcase my drunken talent often enough. I sang two songs for the crowd that evening, You Ain't Woman Enough To Take My Man, and Coal Miner's Daughter. Both are classic hits by the great Loretta Lynn.

A sample of my show stopping performance

This morning I woke up feeling like a steamy pile of dog doo. I already committed to a running date with a friend from work, and I was not feel'n it at all. I managed to postpone until 4 which helped out quite a bit. I met her at a new place on Lake Norman called Jetton park. We did two loops of the park totaling about 3 miles. I hope I didn't embarrass her with my outfit.

FYI Cousin Josh: If I ever get to go on a run with you, I will be wearing this exact outfit. ;)

Believe it or not, I actually felt a lot better after the run. It's a good thing we don't get the chance to go out often. I can not feel that crappy more than once every 2 or 3 months.

Best Husband Ever!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have an awesome husband! He signed me up for Chicago on my birthday and for valentines he got me a netbook with all the specs that I had been researching for the past two years.

Sometimes I see other women on the Run Like A Mother page asking for advice on how to get their husbands to be more supportive of their running. One even said that her husband refused to wake up and take their kids to support her as she took on her first marathon. I know that I'm incredibly lucky because I can't even fathom such a situation. At my first marathon, my husband had both of our kids in the double jogging stroller on a 35 degree morning. He trotted all over uptown Charlotte, attempting to meet me at every possible mile marker. When some of our friends came out, later in the race, my husband left the kids and jogged part of the last mile with me. I know I married the right person because there is no way that any other man would have supported such things as cloth diapers, home made cleaners, or a home free of paper towels.

So Happy 30th babe! Thank you for all the love and support in all my crazy ventures. Someday soon I'll give you your turn.