Big Lessons, Small Fairy

After work Monday LBM and I hit the road.  Usually LBM naps a bit while I run, last night however he was a live wire.  He chatted his way along our usual 6.5 mile loop.  He threw goldfish to the cows that we passed along the way, threathened all manner of wildlife with his no-longer-glowing glo stick, say dozens of songs as a medley, discharged three packages of gummies in an attempt to ensure the local insect population is thriving, and added half a cup of juice to the ground so the insect would have something to wash it all down with.

He is so ecologically aware!

Run # 96 (6.5 miles / 53:02)

After our run s'ghetti girl joined us for a walk to cool down.  She had been suprised by the tooth fairy.  It seems that TF came while I was running (she's sneaky) and left a little stuffed animal in exchange for s'ghetti's tooth.  TF doesn't come during the day, you say?  Well she can't fly in the rain so she had no choice but to attempt such a risky delivery during the day. 

I know at s'ghetti girl's age it is a wanting that keeps her "believing" in someone beyond what she can see.  In this case the TF.  It is hard to let those things go.  They serve such a good purpose when teaching children to believe in the absence of "proof."  It's the beginning of faith.  Believing without seeing.  It's the beginning of knowing that somethings are possible even when others think they are not.

Big lessons from such a small fairy. 

After the TF suprise!

This morning dawned with fog.  Oh how I LOVE fog!

I wish I had more time in the morning to go farther.  There is little as sweet as an early morning fog run.

A beautiful foggy morning

But I only had time for my out and back of 3.5 miles followed by a walk and stretching.

Three more runs and then I'm done....

Run # 97 (3.5 / 28:08)

...or am I?

30 in 3 and 50 in 5 and a little.

Please notice:  I listen to the birds.  New fresh workout gear!

I am done.

For the week anyway.

I got my last run in this afternoon to hit my 50 miles.

yipee.

Oh, I would work up a bit more enthusiasm but I am just beat.

I did my last 6.5 miles fast 47:36.  Remember I have been working on endurance this week.

I felt I was going to barf at the top of the second hill but I didn't.

Probably because I had so little in me to come up but I did it.

I also got my 30 miles in 3 days in.

Each day I ran 3.5 miles in the morning and finished with my 6.5 mile loop in the evening.

My times were interesting to me.  I wonder if fatigue plays a factor or if conditions and mental toughness are what really affect me.

Tuesday morning - 3.5 26:00 - no stroller, rain/fog

Tuesday evening - 6.5 51:46 - stroller, rain/fog

Wednesday morning - 3.5 28:50, stroller, rain/fog

Wednesday evening - 6.5 52:34 stroller, rain/fog

Thursday morning - 3.5 29:29, stroller, dizzle/fog

Thursday evening - 6.5 51:42, stroller, drizzle/fog (after school activity and with biking sherpa)

My morning runs got slower but my evening runs didn't.  The week as a whole is all over the place for pace.  I often think my pace has more to do with how much I want it versus how fast I can run.

Have you ever thought the same of yourself? 

Biking sherpa thought my pig tails in the wind and my crazy sweat marks were soooo funny I had to share them.  The price of a biking sherpa to encourage me when I am tired.

Oh well, here is me with crazy sweaty pig tails running at night, in the rain and wind with the jogging stroller and biking sherpa to keep me moving.

Thanks biking sherpa! 

Twice in One Day

What I wore this morning

You are probably thinking this is another post where I am going to wax on about running twice a day.  Then after reading it you may think some version of;

"There is no way that girl is doing all the running." or

"Is she TRYING to make me feel like I don't runn enough?" or

"Bring on the Shelly bragfest again." 

Okay maybe you don't think those things but come on, I talk about double days A LOT!

But today is not about running twice a day. 

It's about what other thing happend twice today.  Twice this morning in fact.

A bird pooped on me. 

I know Beth at Shut up and Run will be proud I have poop in my post today.

A bird pooped on me once early in my run.

And then....

A bird pooped on me a second time late in my run!

If you google a bird pooped on me, aside from eventually finding this post you will find a thousand different site to education you about a bird pooping on some one - not all of which I reccommend you actually click on, there are some strange people out there!  But you may find that if you are Italian it is believed to be good luck and since I do have Italian ancestors, I say bring on the good luck.

However, I got to thinking after reading Amanda's post (@ Run to the finish) about rewearing clothes and I began to wonder if maybe those birds were trying to tell me something. 

What do you think??

What I wore last night

A Case of Havetaraceitis

Second consecutive 10 mile day - check.
16 miles to reach my 50 miles for the week - check.
A case of the havetaraceitis - check.

I am pretty pleased that I have not let the less than stellar weather keep me from getting out and running.

This morning this little guy was hanging on for dear life.  I wonder if he spent the entire night hanging there upside down?  Talk about head rush!

The morning was great.  Foggy run with LBM (3.5 miles/28:34), s'ghetti was eager to head off to school and Hubbs surgery went better than expected.  No crutches after today!  Looking forward to a complete and rapid recovery!

Then off to the big girl job.

(insert 8 hours of utter yuck-ness not apporopriate for my life-is-mostly-rosey-running blog)

After big girl job and kiddos retrieval, LBM and I were off for the second half of our 10 miles today (6.5miles/52:45)  I love running in the fog and drizzle.  With LBM falling asleep quickly during our run, it made it feel like I was the only person around.  The heavy fog has a way of making everything so exteremly quiet.  I can get lost in it and forget that I am not the only person as demonstrated tonight when I got lost in my thoughts and began thinking out loud!  Yep.  There I was running down the foggy road chatting away to myself and the gentleman who happened to be out on his porch chuckling at my lively conversation with myself.  Oy vey! 

 

On tap is another 10 for tomorrow.  The challenge will be Family Fun night at s'ghetti's school after work.  I have to figure out how to fit it all in.  Then Saturday will be 6ish miles to finish my 50 for the week.

It all should be very do-able.

With all this refocus on my mileage/schedule, I am coming down with a case of the have-ta-race-itis.  So.....

I am toying with the idea of doing this Xterra Trail Series 21k trail race on June 19th near Richmond, VA.

 Anyone interested in giving it a go with me?

This morning I got out for a test drive of the new do. 
My usual 3.5 miles  LBM was snug in bed with Daddy after getting up for the third time when will it end!
after getting up at 5:45.  I was on the road in the fog, loving it!
I was shooting for 25 mintues. 
25:59 would have made me happy and won't you know it when I crossed my "finish line" and stopped my watch
26:00:04
oh, so close!
Maybe if I had gone just a little shorter with my hair I could have nailed it.
It was a great start to my day.
Happy Hump Day!

The Amazing Amanda @ Run to the finish has been hosting the 3 Changes Challenge. 

You may have noticed my declarations at the bottom of most of my posts for about the last month.

Amanda challenged us to chose 3 things (she does 5!) to change, quit, limit, start or do in an effort to improve ourselves in any way we felt we needed some attention.

I choose to focus on:

1.  Drink 64 oz. of  h2o or other non-caffeinated beverage
This has been the easiest of the 3 changes.  During the work week, I can control the amount of "water" I drink by keeping my 23oz bottle filled and working toward emptying it at least twice a day while at work.  Combine that with my 16 oz glass of water in the morning and evening and voila.  I have drank over 64 oz.

2.  Destress.  Focusing on getting back into a habit of daily prayer but also using yoga, quiet time, frustration limiting techniques to reduce or remove stressers in my life.
Reducing or removing stress has been a bit harder.  Recent developments in my family life (oy vey) have added to my stress HOWEVER I am happy to report that I have been managing this increased stress well.  I have been praying morning and night, doing my yoga (when the kiddos bedtimes allow), using positive talk and talking with my family about my concerns have all helped manage my daily stress.

3.  Xtrain 2 days a week even if I run. 
This change has been hard.   I am not going to sugar coat it.  Unfortunately being under stress makes me want to run to help elevate the stress, running takes up my limited time leaving me with little surplus time to cross train.  Full Disclosure.  I have been better about sit ups, push ups and stretching after runs and in the evenings but I am looking to incorporate two actually cross training days into my running schedule to improve my overall fitness.  Most likely some serious core and weight work.  I have done this before so I know that I can get into a routine that will allow for it all to fit. 
I need the cross training to perform better in my upcoming trail ultra in July.  I will most certainly need to be stronger if I am going to attempt a trail 50 miler in October BUT I also need big miles to complete those distances...again, oy vey! 
So this challenge continues beyond Amanda's 3 Changes Challenge. 
Maybe this blog needs to be renamed to; "Will Shelly ever Xtrain?"

Sometimes they feel like a run. Sometimes they don't.

Last evening wonderful hubbs took s'getti noodle to her soccer practice and little bug-man and I got to go straight home after work.  I love those days!  It had been sprinkling rain and chilly all day but I was determined to get out for an "extra" run. 

When the start of the 3 Changes Challenge hosted by the lovely Amanda I knew I needed to create some quiet time to focus on my prayers (if you are more comfortable with the word mediation that's fine but for me I call it prayers.).  So off we went merrily down the road for my typical evening work day run of 6.5 miles.  Everything was going well until I was about three quarters of the way round the loop, that's when I decided that the sun had gone low enough that the wind was really getting cold on little bug-man.  Mind you he was chatting merrily along.  Once I got the weather shield on little bug-man started to yell and then scream at the top of his lungs.  He threww his hat out, a fact I didn't become aware of until I had ran a quarter mile down the road.  (I look where I want to go not at my feet)  Little bug-man laughed, he actually laughed as I parked him at the rec field and sprinted back to get the hat.  Once I returned with the hat, the screaming continued. 

He was not happy.

I tried to remind him how he loves to go "joggie" with mom by stopping to see the goats at a farm near our house.

There were even new babies to watch.

And the old billy who snorts at us when we stop and get close.  But that didn't make little bug-man happy.  Now I know what other mommies deal with when they talk about their kiddos NOT liking the jogger.  I am sure little bug-man was just ready to be done.

After last evenings screaming run, I was unsure how LBM would handle getting into the jogger but even with all the fog that kept him from seeing all the animals he chatted merrily the whole way.  At least until he fell back to sleep.

It was a great start to my day.  I love running in the fog!  And I already spent some time in prayer this morning so I can have a SUCCESS for #2 of the 3 Changes Challenge (3CC)!

Did you commit to making positive changes in your daily habits?

Amanda @ Run to the Finish is hosting another GREAT challenge and I am all about having something to work toward!  So I have challenged myself for the next 30 days to:

1.  Drink more water - aiming to hit at least 64oz. a day of non-caffeinated fluids
2.  Use Daily prayer/meditation to reduce my stress
3.  Cross train 2 days a week (even if I run those days!)

So at the end of my posts I will list my success or needs to improve for the 3 goals.  You all will have to help me be accountable.  Of course, I want to win this but most importantly I make to make some healthy changes to my deeply engrained daily habits.

3 Changes Challenge

April 13th

1. h2o - 68oz - Success

2. Destress - Used my running time last evening to focus my mind on others (at least until Max melted down!) - Success

3. Xtrain - Did my sit ups and streching (which I rarely do) but I think this is still a needs improvement to be counted!

Running Diva Mom is hosting an Inperspire Giveaway

Foggy Morning Runs

I now have 9 days until I enter the wonderful world of ultras. 

9 days. 

That is a single digit incase anyone missed it.

Very little I do at this point will help me perform any better during the race. 

So for the past 3 days I have been trying to focus on enjoying my runs. 

 Being that I frequent the same routes quite often I try to enjoy the changes along those routes. 

I use my run to simply spend some time in my mind and be quiet.

Last evening when I was reading up on a few blogs I noticed that I lost a few followers.  I thought about this while I was running this morning.  I wondered if I had written something that offended the now ex-followers.  It's not rewarding to think that I have lost the ability to inspire someone. 

My biggest concern over the ex-followers would be the thought that they lost interest in running, in seeking a healthier lifestyle.  And if my words failed to help them if they were struggling in their efforts. 

Perhaps their journey simply lead them down a different road.

While mine has me on familiar paths. 

I thought of them; the ex-followers, this morning and wish them well in whatever road they are now on.

As for me, I will continue to share my little journey; up hills and down, through mud and snow, in the dark of night and at the crack of dawn, behind a jogging stroller or dripping wet on the treadmill; my journey. 

Maybe a lot like yours. 

Seeking something amazing everytime I lace my shoes.

Thanks for sharing in the journey!

Quick Change Artist

I am always amazed at those of you who get those runs in during your lunch breaks. 

There isn't anyway I could go from this....

to this in less than 30 minutes.

...(ok not much improvement but I smell better!)

I have been enjoying a wake up run everyday this week.  I LOVE starting my day with a quick run.  Even after getting up in the middle of the night with the littlest and feeling tired when I hear my alarm go off, that morning run can turn it all around. 

Tonight I will be hitting the treadmill for some serious miles. (littlest willing)  There is an outside chance that we may be able to hit the ROAD instead but I am keeping it flexible so I am not disappointed.  I can mentally mess myself up if I concretely make plans in my mind and then they get changed. 

 I might end up just NOT running at all. 

FAIL!

How do you deal mentally with having to change your running plans?  Do you allow changes to keep you from running?

Amanda at Run to the Finish is having a great Giveaway!  Don't miss it!