Disneyland trip

WOW! Its been too long! I'm going to do a few recap posts here and catch you all up on the fun times I've had since I've last posted.


Nani w/ her pop princess do and Belle



The week before we went to Disneyland I was so good about my miles! I hit them all knowing the next week would be hard with my sister and her kids in town before we left for SoCal. I did have a crazy headache that Saturday and bailed 2 miles in but I felt confidant that it wouldn't interfere too much with my training. Up to that point I had been really good this training period with hitting close to what is written for me. I also ate well. I've been more aware of my gluten splurges and that they really don't make me feel well so it isn't worth it to jump ship. I did a time or two but for the most part I was diligent. I missed posting here because we didn't have Internet. That just about drove me bonkers.

We drove to Disneyland caravan style with my sis, her kids and my parents in the other car on that Monday. It was my nephew Jeremy's 3rd birthday. He's so stinkin' cute! It was also my 18th anniversary of my Melanoma diagnosis. Let me tell you that it may have been wet and cold in NorCal but SoCal was beautiful and sunscreen was a must. We had dinner at Rainforest Cafe and headed to our hotel for a good night sleep.



5 kids and my sista on Casey Jr. train



me and my boys



Tuesday-Thursday was a whirl wind of Disneyland madness including my hubby taking my niece (6) on her first roller coaster ride on the Matterhorn, my nephews (JJ age 3) and (TyTy age 4) each on their first roller coaster rides on the Gadgets GoCoaster in ToonTown. Not sure the little guys recovered but Nani sure loved it! I took her and her mom over to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for a princess makeover and she chose the "POP PRINCESS" hair do for her princess day. She looked wild! Kinda reminded me of the 80's music I listened to growing up. She only needed a microphone to sing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" into and it would have been perfect! We did so much walking and carried Tyler (4) a lot. I estimated that we probably walked close to 10 miles a day. Between carrying my nephews and hustling from 7am til 11pm every day I don't think I lost any fitness while I was there! Probably one of the best parts was that my sista, my nephew and I wore our "It's My Birthday" badges with our names on them and EVERYONE said happy birthday to us for the last two days (that's when we found out we could wear them even if it was our bday WEEK) of our park visit. It was pretty amazing!





St. Patty's day in the park with the whole Family



Holding Tink w/ Nani and my Sista




My little family in CalAdv.



All the kids at the CARS





Got to see Pooh Bear! I love taking little guys to DL!

 I hopped on a plane to Vegas Friday while they drove home to cold wet Chico. I cried in the car on the way to the airport. I missed my sista and the kids already and I had just walked out the door.

Start Your Engines!

I'm off! Today was the first day officially of Marathon Training Program #3 for me! My whole intent is to mentor the team, hang out on long runs and Tuesday night Speed workouts but not throw myself back into PT w/ overuse injuries.

I ran so stinkin' slow but I got to know a lot of new people and I'm looking forward to being a mentor for this group. Essentially I'm not a coach but someone to bounce questions off of or just to talk to about the program about running and the things that generally go with it like food, recovery, stretching, food, injury prevention, how the programs work, miles and food. I think we talk a lot about food.

Tonight's run:
Asics #1shoes w/ 100 miles on them
Bidwell classic t/shirt run like a mother hat/Nike shorts and features low socks
80degrees and muggy but a slight breeze
0.63 mile warm up 11 :05 average speed
Plyos @ the horseshoe pits
50 minute out and back easy run out and back along the road in lower park 4.6 miles
Then stretches and .63 miles back to the shop for cool down.
Total: 5.86 miles but not sure of the overall pace since I turned off my G before heading back to the shop since it was low on battery.

I did have a strawberry/Watermelon GU recovery drink after the run and a PB frozen yogurt w/ choc granola on it and it totally hit the spot today! I'm off to bed since I have to be up early for the kids to go to school! Yeah! Back to school!!!!

Limits

I've thought a lot about what my limits and my boundaries have been since I started running. I have gone far beyond what I thought I could ever do and thus blowing those ideas of limits out of the water. In the life of a parent I am very good at shutting those down and forgetting what I am capable of. Mostly I want to protect them, even by being "too safe and cautious" which isn't really helping them at all is it? I became a paranoid mommy. Not where I wanted to be in my parent style at all.

I never thought I would run a 10K much less a half or full marathon, but I did. I had to push those "limits" in myself to train for longer distances, for faster times, for conserving energy now so I could push it later. I had to learn to eat differently so I had energy to do things I never thought myself capable of. I had to retrain my mind with positive thoughts, not my usual process at all.

As a parent I am constantly worried about the boys getting hurt, physically, emotionally, spiritually. I built walls around us to keep us safe, those walls are mostly figurative but sometimes very physical when you see what my kids are allowed (or not allowed) to do compared to some of the other kids in our neighborhood. I don't let them play in the street. I don't allow them to go to someones house where I don't know the parents. I hover when they are online so they don't accidentally log into the wrong site. They have timers set for how long they can watch TV, play video games or have computer time. I force them to play outside with Blondy under constant supervision, and at age almost 9 I let Hollywood play outside with less supervision than before with the understanding that he knows his boundaries, knows he must check in every half hour and does not enter any ones backyard, house or car without coming and talking to me first. If I say no there will be no temper tantrums or talking back. Of course these are only a few of the obvious ways I protect my children but the list could go on all day I don't think you want me to bore you anymore with that. All in all, I built my walls pretty high.

It was so hard to climb those walls, jump over them and run, but thats exactly what I did. I always came back though. I needed to get a little Tina time in, not as a parent or a spouse for a little while. I learned that not only did I build walls around family to protect them but I built walls around myself and became of the world going on around me. So when I started to run I had little confidence in myself, but slowly and steadily I learned that there is a difference in LIMITS and BOUNDARIES. Limits are meant to be challenged and boundaries are what we have to keep us safe. My kids are getting the benefits too. A happy mom who is tearing down walls, setting boundaries broader and limits more as goals to overcome. Those walls around our family are not so high but still working on coming down s-l-o-w-l-y as my kids grow. Those walls around myself will be torn down and rebuilt over and over I think but at least they grow with my goals and are torn down with great friends, great runs, great coaches, great workouts, PR's and everyday wonderful achievements. Becoming a runner as taught me more about being a person, a wife, a friend, but mostly a parent than I could have ever imagined.

Almond Blossoms

Do you pronounce the L in Almond? If you are a native to Chico, California you don't. Its almost a crime to pronounce it with one. EEEK! I still slip and I've been with a native boy for 14 years. Anywho...

I had been suffering through my long runs and hitting walls that had never been there before so my plan today was to eat right. Eat enough and hopefully fuel the way I should so tomorrow would be a better day than say... the last 6 or so weeks during my long runs. LOL. I ate oatmeal with peaches and milk (I guess it would be peaches and cream hu?) some granola sprinkled on top because I like the crunchy texture. I had a banana. Late morning I had some salad with romaine lettuce, broccoli salad, garbanzo beans, dried cranberries, carrots, feta cheese, artichoke hearts (soaked in water not oil) and 1 Tbsp poppy seed dressing. I was hungry right before picking up the boys so I picked up a burrito at Chipotle with yummy rice, grilled fajita veggies, steak, pinto beans, corn salsa, and a little bit of cheese. I don't know if I could eat anything else today I'm still stuffed at 7pm.

Tomorrow is that long run and we'll be leaving Vicki's at about 7:15am and headed to Durham where the annual Almond Blossom run will be taking place. Its about 7 miles out there +5k(unofficial) and a 2 mile cool down. We'll be having lunch in Durham before coming home. It will be nice to run with the gang. I can't really say girls since Ross and Vince have increased our group size and Ed, who is training for PARIS MARATHON, will be running with us also. I'll let you know how it goes.

Fast Pass

I did speed work out tonight and even though it hurt, it was cold, it was wet, it was not as fun as I had hoped it would be...I did it. 1.5 mile warm up with strides and 10x 800m at 10K pace and 40 seconds recovery between. I managed to hang with the girls and stick just a few seconds behind them. Each interval landed me in at about 4 minutes to 4min10seconds. Not too shabby. Ohhh and the hubby bought me a windbreaker/water resistant jacket and it came in handy since I ran in REAL RAIN not just drizzle tonight.

Since I've got Disneyland on the mind still I decided to use a bit of terminology for my post tonight. I passed the long line (no long run this week) and jumped in at the fast pass (speed work). Thursday long run, Saturday Almond Blossom 10K(kinda)and breakfast. Maybe some kettlebells and an easy run with Jenni in the morning. Cindi really, really, really needs it.

Week in review

I got absolutely no running in last weekend. I had a great long run (12 miles) with AnnMarie that Thursday before but the streets were not plowed in a way for me to go run in a strange area and feel like I could safely move out of the road if I needed to, that and lots of old people up there driving just don't watch out for little ole' runners like me. So we did a lot of walking and climbing and sledding. We had a nice weekend together and spent genuine quality time with the fam. Love that. we got back into town late on Sunday but Monday flew by before I got a run in. Tuesday night was speed work and I felt pretty good out there but I had a rumbly tummy and felt a bit tired. I pushed through and had a good night of hard running. One of my 1200m intervals was at 7:38m/m pace. That is GREAT for ME. I'm the resident slow poke. I just didn't feel right by the end. I thought I must have been hungry but by the time I got home the stomach flu/food poisoning had set in and I was miserable all night. I will spare you the details but it was not pretty. Exhausted and hurting I stayed in bed ALL DAY on Wednesday and Thursday I went out for a run but the lack of food in my system for 36 hours absolutely played a part in my heading back to the house after a quarter mile. Friday I took up with Laura at the 4 mile mark of her 10 mile run. We did a nice 6 mile run together and missed most of the rain. Saturday was our long run with the FF Training team and little group o' girlz; Liz, Vicki, AnnMarie, Patty and myself had a hard time getting warmed up but after dropping Patty at the 5 mark so she could complete her 10 miles we made it to the 6.5 mark, took some GU and headed back to finish 13 miles. I felt really good from mile 8 to mile 12 then the last mile I wasn't sure if I could finish. I just tried to keep up with the girls. we stretched really really well and headed home.

I had a revelation today though.

Cheeze ITs are so yummy! I love them! Oh yea, I'm not eating wheat products anymore (again). Damn those Cheeze Its! Now I wonder how they found their way into my house? someone is trying to sabotage me. Its my own conspiracy theory. Ohh... and then they went and bought PIZZA! Damn them and their Carbohydrate and Grease loving little bodies. I guess I'll have soup. =(

Who am I again

Ahhh.... I thought I would have more time now that the kiddos are back in school. I'm stopping by for a minute to take note of whats going on this week. I took Monday off just doing some ab work since I as sitting for some friends since their daddy was having surgery. Ouch... While he was there his wife saw some other friends who were there having a baby. So that was my day yesterday. The Wilhelm kiddos went home then we ate home made chili. Yum... of course the hubby was at work since OT comes by so rarely these days he went ahead and took it. That put him on three days straight. Nice for the paycheck not so good for Mommy's sanity. Wasn't I just complaining that he was home for 13 days straight and driving me crazy?

I really wanted to do kettle bells last night but that didn't happen so with some ab work at home I hope it will be enough. I wanted to go Wednesday but I babysit so I'm going to call and see if they are doing a noon class. I'm running with Jenni, Gehrig (in the jogger), Cindi on the leash and maybe our friend Kari too. Our own little Wednesday running club. Thursday is rest and abs and I'll have to do my LONG run of 11 miles on Friday since we'll be leaving for the lake that night for the weekend. I hope to get out and run for a little bit on Saturday and take Sunday as a rest day.

Food. I'm so bad. I need to be better. I'm not eating enough, I'm not taking in the calories. I thought that our $300 at Costco would hold out but it all lasted like a week. 24 yogurts devoured by two little boys. I think I've had three... I love the peach ones... so do my boys. They don't like the blueberry and that's all that's left. What the heck. I need to go back to oatmeal in the morning to get me on track and keep me from being STARVING at 10 or 11. I shouldn't be drinking soda at all, I didn't even LIKE the Coke I had last night... why did I drink it? I have no idea. I need to go back to no soda while I'm training (except for when I go to La Comida because the water AND the ice tea tastes like blech!). I need to be consuming more calories and eating more sweet potatoes and potatoes and brown rice and beans. I need to drink more tea and water.

I'm really enjoying this program so far. I like all the plyometric and core work we are doing to enhance our strength. I love doing to kettle bells and the running for time instead of speed or distance. knowing that I need to set aside 45 minutes instead of 4-5 miles just makes more sense.

I've had a few months of emotional turmoil, a lot has come out in whining here and I'm sorry about that. Part of that is that I REALLY need to get my thyroid checked. I guess I should stop typing and call my endocrinologist hu? I also have several moles I need to have removed especially since I had melanoma once and should be SUPER vigilant about that. I kind of bury my head in the sand but it seeps into my dreams and freaks me out so I haven't been sleeping much lately when I should just go take care of it hu? emotionally.... I don't know how I would deal with it so I procrastinate. Mostly I'm afraid the doc will tell me to stop running outside and I don't want to hear that. I already douse myself in sunscreen everyday. What else can I do? especially in the summer... These things have started to consume my thoughts and affect my mood. I'm working hard to remedy that.

Tonight is speed work. Dads coming down to watch the boys. I'm going to go a bit early and warm up. I'm planning a blog about ... my achievements (running and non-running) and my goals for this year. I know none of the other blogs are talking about "That" so by the time you get to mine you will be GOOD and SICK of hearing it. LOL

I really want to talk about Kristin Armstrongs blog but you are all bored so I'm going to sort through my thoughts and feeling and hopefully have a post before the weekend. Read it and let me know what you think.

such a slacker

I am I am I am. Yes I am a slacker. The hubby was home for 13 days straight from work. CRAZY! and I feel the need to entertain him and clean the whole stinkin' time. No bloggy time for me. BUT I have been out for a few runs and Cindi is much better on the leash, well after about a mile anyway. Our computer died so that's another reason why I haven't been here. We just said OH WELL and replaced the hard drive and it works, but without my itunes library what am I to do? I will be very unhappy to lose it all so I won't even PLUG in my nano for fear that it will all disappear. Not sure yet how to remedy this situation even though I should have backed it up, I'm just glad my pictures are on the external hard drive I got for my b-day.

Yesterday was our first long run of the half marathon program. We did 10 miles and it seems VERY weird that it didn't seem long at all. LOL. A year ago I would have CRIED when they said 10 miles. I did wake up with a headache before hand and forgot to take Advil. By the time I got home and we visited with some friends from out of town I was exhausted and my head was in full blown migraine mode. I could just lay in bed and hope I didn't throw up. Not a good evening at all.

The hubby went to work today and I'm ready for a break from the kiddos all ready. tomorrow I'll run and do kettle bells again. Missed Friday because I was in the bay area visiting with Grandma then checking out a really cute Coach Purse at the Outlet with the BFF and didn't make it back to Chico in time. OOPS.

Monday Funday

Today the hubby got up early and left to go Turkey hunting which means his lab went crazy... camo + gun = a day out for Sprig... but not today. No doggies turkey hunting so she kept me up whiny and sad because she was left behind. I finally got up took a shower, got the boys ready for school and out the door in time to ride our bikes. My tire was flat so into the car we went. I did get to go to coffee with a friend I used to work with. It was nice to see her now that she's a SAHM and loving it. Its a different world and she went through some depression after leaving but she's doing a good job of coming out of it and feeling her way through this new appreciation for a NEW kind of job. Coffee and Kayla to love on made the day.

Hubby and I went to the landscape place and debated over rock. I made my decision we brought it home then he griped about it the whole time. Of course. Oh well.

Hollywood had Guitar lessons then we went to Food Maxx to go shopping. Hubby is TOO GOOD to shop there so I have to go alone. Of course I got only what was on my list and filled the whole back of my car for little over $100! The Lord knows we don't need meat so the rest of the food is pretty reasonable in comparison. We buzzed home where hubby had started dinner. Round Steak (elk) in cream of mushroom and cream of celery soup at 300 degrees for 2 hours. Then the gravy poured over white rice and corn bread on the side. Scratch the yams that I put in the oven. Oh well, I'll save them for tomorrow when he's gone and I eat healthy again. LOL

I totally could have ran today. I felt so good after my 16 mile progressive run yesterday. We finished so strong in the low 9 min mile range. It was a great day! Three weeks from yesterday is the CIM! I need to blog about my mental shifting gears and I hope to get to it tomorrow. I work in the boys classrooms and still need to find a sitter. Night night! I'm out.

Fortune Cookie

Hubby still wasn't home from Fill The Boot yet to I took the kiddos to chineese food at Panda Express. We had never been there, got way too much food and it was only OK. Bummer. If I'm going to spend a butt load of money on chineese food (although it was cheep if I figure it will feed us for like two weeks) it had better be delish... thats all I'm saying.

Anyhow I ate WAY TOO MUCH! enough sodium to tomorrows 16 mile progressive run? check!

This does nothing for my Fat Ass....

I know this because I got a stupid fortune cookie who tells me:

YOU ARE VERY EXPRESSIVE AND POSITIVE IN WORD, ACT AND FEELING

I am positive that my butt is growing... I told ya'll about it, I act fat... eating a ginormous amount of food tonight. Oh and feeling... I now feel increadibly fat. I expressed all of that in my blog. LOL

Repitition

Things were feeling a bit repeditive so I thought I would change things up a bit for the day.

I took a rest day on Monday after Clarksburg and boy did I need it. It just took everything out of me, emotionally and physically I think. I needed a recharge. We had an easier run on Tuesday. We ran from the shop to one of the local High Schools tracks since the one at the University was dark and locked up. We did 15 minutes of easy pace 10 minutes of Marathon to Threshold pace then 15 minutes of easy pace again. I just never felt good though. We ran back to the store for a total of about 6 miles for the night. Stretched really good then headed home for some Ice Cream and Biggest Loser Action.

Wednesday I ran the 3mile loop with Good Neighbor. She is doing so good. I don't time myself or even take a watch on Wednesdays because Tuesday night workouts are usually so crazy and our run only starts 12 or so hours after our speed work is done that I just take a very easy pace with GN to get my miles in. I've been running in the park so much that I dread it though. I almost just want to run up to the airport and that has ALWAYS been my least favorite place to run to because of the even steady upward path it takes for 2 miles to the baseball field and the wind that never lets up. ... oh and its ugly. But there is a dedicated path so you aren't in danger (hopefully) of being hit by a car or truck, but maybe a bicyclist who thinks the paths belong to them.

Thursday: Today. I did to a different run. I started at 5mile which is part of Bidwell park but links lower and upper parks together. I did the 2 mile Centenial loop with offers up another steady long .75 mile long hill. I wanted to break up the run by taking the second half of my run to upper park and hitting a bit of trail. First I stopped to see Margo who is a friend of the hubby's family and lives across from the entrance to the park, lucky girl hu? She has a new Minnie Aussie who is BEAUTIFUL she's a blue merle and has crystal blue eyes and I want her. Sorry Margo... I do! When its time for us to get a new dog I'm so looking into mini aussies. Margo says there is a breeder in Vina... I'm off to scour the internet for it... just to see if her puppies are as cute as Shelby. After taking a 10 minute break I drank some water, took off the long sleeved shirt and headed to upper park. I took the trail up to Horseshoe lake then looped back down. I was crossing the bridge back to 5mile when my 2 mile alarm went of. It was perfect timing. I had a great run(s) today. I felt good for the first time in a long time. I don't think I had a negative thought about running the whole time. I love days like this. OK I'm off to shower, eat and pick up the little guys!

Quickly approaching

I must stay inspired. I bought new shoes. I bought Mint Chocolate GU. I'm getting excited or I'm trying too. Its hard though. I'm so sick of eating. I know I'm crazy. I'm especially tired of eating the SAME things over and over again for fear of trying something new and sabotaging my runs or my GI tract in general. I'm trying to get my runs in. I'm hitting that time when my life is taking over my running the way my running took over my life 10 months ago. I need to stay on track just a little longer. This weekend? 20 mile race on Sunday in Clarksburg. CIM is just 4 weeks and 4 days left.

I'm also posting over at my bookclub (that hasn't gotten off the ground yet) blog and my "the rest of my life" blog. Since I'm posting EVERY DAY for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month). I hope to get my computer up and rolling for downloading the boys pics from Halloween and the pumpkin patch I may even post on their blogs since its been so long. You can check out my profile for those sites.

Tonight my papa is coming down to watch the kiddos while I run. I'm feeding him at 5:30 after Hollywoods guitar practice. I need to drink plenty of water this week to say hydrated and fueled for this weekend. I did update some pix on my photography blog too if any of you are interested. My hope is that on days the hubby is gone (he took overtime today) I can get my longer posts in and just little updates when he's home so we can spend more one on one time together and with the kids.

Vote

Today will change history. Get out there and vote... your voice counts.

I just had lunch (cashew chicken, pork fried rice, chow mien that I didn't eat, an egg roll and yummy soup) with Good Neighbor who is pretty Liberal... I'm pretty heavy Conservative. Glad to say that most things we talked about were pretty spot on the same. OK, not who we voted for president but all the California ballot measures anyway. Funny thing is the things we agree on are for different reasons. LOL~ It was nice to get a different perspective though. No going back now... my ballot went out in the mail over two weeks ago.

I'm off for a run although I would much rather be shopping. Mervyn's is going out of business and they are having a huge sale. I don't want to take the kiddos so I guess I'll have to go through whatever is still there tomorrow.

sweet as pie

I didn't run today after that crazy half mary I did yesterday... phew! Rest days are GOOD. I am still so surprised at myself. Not sure if I'm proud yet but surprised is enough for now. I did get a good belly laugh in today. That's exercise right? Of course I did it in my room with the door closed on the phone with my friend Tiff over a conversation OUR ELDEST children had at school in line today...

Apparently this is what happened (T-Rex is her 8yr old, Hollywood is mine)

T-Rex- You are a big trash can full of CR-@-P

Hollywood- Well you're a big swimming pool full of SH*T

Nice hu? Then do they keep it to themselves? NO! They tell K, then swear her to secrecy. YEA RIGHT! K tells Mrs. N and then they get a nice long conversation about what happened, about not telling the truth, about using that kind of language and how they get to tell their parents what really happened. If the truth does not come out... pink slip home.

I'm not proud of him. I'm really irritated at him at the moment. But, there is my son having to bring out the bigger badder words to not be outdone. How much is he like his father? WAY TOO MUCH! its kinda scary. What scares Hollywood the most? His Daddy knowing and even worse, Hollywood gets to tell him.