21 Days

Monday Miscellany

2009-12-14T10:41:00.005-05:00

First of all, Norah had a great weekend with her Grandpa:His name is Ernie, so he brought her a stuffed Ernie, which worked out for some cute pics of them together.

And, we had a great Christmas party on Saturday night -- we had a lot of fun and all got some great loot!

Jerry's dad left this morning, and then I had a doctor appointment, so Jerry took the morning off. My dr. apt was just an annual check up, and really, the only reportable thing about that is that I am officially back to my pre-preggo weight! I had weighed myself at home a week or two ago and saw that, but today at the doctor's office, their scale reported the same number, so I was pretty pleased.

Of course, the suck of the matter is that while the weight is gone, the shape isn't necessarily back. Not that I ever had abs of adamantium, but before pregnancy, I did have a relatively flat, firm tummy. But, now it is...squidgier...than before. So this is part of the reason for incorporating the cross training into my runing routine; running is great for burning calories, and it does some toning, but I really need to work on strength and stretching exercises in order to restore my body to some of its former shape.

Lastly, I chose sleep this morning instead of an early run -- I just feel completely exhausted today -- so I suppose an evening run after work is gonna be in order if I am going to continue to adhere to "ze plan." That's okay; I really appreciated that extra hour of snooze time this morning!

8 Miles

2009-12-12T14:07:00.004-05:00

Yesterday's cross training consisted of shopping, wrapping gifts, and cleaning the house, so I never got around to testing out Jillian Michaels' Shred. But, I think all 3 of those activities count, and the good news is that I'm about 95% done with my Christmas shopping. I just have to get everything for Jerry (but his stocking is done and so are his gifts "from" Norah) and then go stand in line at the PO to ship off everything else. Ugh...not looking forward to that.

This morning, I did not get up early for my planned 8 miler; instead, I "slept in" until 6:40 when Norah got up, then went for my run at about 7:30. It was later in the morning than I had originally planned, but since it's a Saturday and Jerry's home, I don't necessarily have to run in the pre-dawn hours if I don't want to, and because it's December, the weather is temperate enough to run mid-morning. So, I ran my planned 8 miler, and it went pretty well. I actually remembered water this time so that was a huge bonus right there.

I finished it up in 1:24:16, which is an average pace of 10:33/mile, which is right within my target pace range, so that was good.

Anyhoo...my FIL is here for the weekend, so we've been visiting with him, and he has graciously offered to watch Norah this evening while we go to our Christmas party with friends -- not that he has to do much; she goes to bed between 6-6:30, so he's mainly just volunteering to be here in the house with she and Scooter while we're out. Scooter will probably require more attention than she will.

But speaking of the holiday party, I must skedaddle to make the appetizer I'm bringing. Toodles!

4 Months and 4 Miles

2009-12-10T06:55:00.003-05:00

Today, Norah is 4 months old. And she continues to be such a sweet baby who eats and sleeps well, and seems to be a happy, healthy girl.

This month hasn't brought about any major milestones, but rather, it's been a refinement of many things: She's stronger on her tummy and she tolerates it for longer periods of time now. She sits propped up better. And she reaches for and grasps things with better and better control. And, everything she grabs goes into her incredibly drooly mouth.

She is also "talking" up a storm now -- lots of baby babble that sounds mostly like a hybrid of a cat and a pterodactyl -- and recently, she's been sticking her tongue out and trying to make sounds. I can't quite describe it very well, and I have failed to get it on video so far, but it's pretty darn cute to watch her experimenting with talk. And we have lots of good "conversations" :)

The last thing that has been significant this month is her continuing interest in the world around her. She turns to see us when we talk, and we can see her concentrating on watching, hearing, and touching things. She has even taken a keen interest in watching Scooter, and we've even seen her reaching out to him in an attempt to touch him.

And, of course, she remains as cute as ever:
In running news, I got up early this morning for a 4 miler. It went well, and I finished it in 43:25. It was again incredibly humid out, and there was fog! We don't have fog very often here in FL -- but the effect was kind of fun, kind of like running through a cloud.

Right on Schedule

2009-12-09T09:56:00.004-05:00

I overslept this morning by about 20 minutes, and my first instinct when I oversleep is this: Oh well, I can't go run now. Then, I go back to sleep. But, this morning I powered past such apathy and got out of bed and got ready.

With 20 minutes less time than usual, I didn't have as much time to get ready for my run as I normally do, so after pumping and taking Scooter out, I skipped my usual cup of coffee, etc and hopped right into my running clothes and got out the door. I ran a solid 3 miler and was back with plenty of time to shower before Norah woke up. And, I'm so glad I didn't just brush the run off because I had slept in some, which is exactly what I would've done a week ago.

Now that I have a hard copy training schedule to follow, I feel so much more committed and motivated, and registering for and committing to those races in early 2010 has really provided me with the necessary mojo to create some consistency for myself. It's been so long since I ran with a schedule that I had kind of forgotten how helpful it is!

Cross Train Tuesday

2009-12-08T19:33:00.002-05:00

I am the sort of runner who runs and...rests. I really don't do any other kind of exercise. Occassionally, I do some yoga, and occassionally, I do some weight training, but by "occassionally," I mean like once a month. Or so.

So, in an effort to remedy this and in devising my new training schedule for the HMs I mentioned yesterday, I decided to incorporate some cross training on Tuesdays and Fridays. Problem? I don't have a gym membership, so I have to look elsewhere to find methods for cross training. Problem solver? On Demand.

Even though I have long known that On Demand has exercise programs, I've never really thought to explore it and see what's there. What I discovered is that there's a plethora of programs on there -- all for free! There's everything from yoga to Jillian Michaels to a variety of aerobics and strength training programs; in fact, there was so much to chose from, I felt a little overloaded trying to select something for today.

In the end, I decided to do a 15 min yoga ab program, and it worked out perfectly. I like short, concise workouts when it comes to any form of strength training and this worked out very well: It was challenging, so I felt like I got a decent little workout, but because of its short length, I didn't get bored.

For Friday's XT, I'm thinking of testing out that She-Devil Michaels and doing Shred 1. I'll let you know how it goes.

Ouch!

2009-12-07T20:25:00.002-05:00

Question: What's more painful than training for 3 half marathons?

Answer: Paying the registration fees for 3 half marathons!

So, I registered for the Miami Half, the A1A Half and the Disney Princess Half this evening, and I think my checking account just had heart palpitations about the race fees. Oh well. I'm looking forward to all 3 races, and it's gonna be an awesome half marathon bonanza in January, February, and March!

3 Miles and Outtakes

2009-12-07T06:37:00.002-05:00

For the past few weeks, my running has been very inconsistent: One week, I have regular runs and I log some respectable mileage; then, the next week, I barely run at all. In an effort to correct this, I decided that this week is a fresh start and my primary goal is simply some consistency. So, to start off such freshness, I got up at the ungodly hour of 5 am and went out for a 3 miler. It was nice and cool out, so the run felt good. It wasn't fast (33:06), but I got it done. And on a Monday morning at that!

In other news, yesterday I stuffed Norah into a cute holiday outfit that my stepmother had sent her, and Jerry and I staged a photoshoot in an attempt to capture some good pics for our Christmas card. It's not easy taking pics of a baby, but we did get some shots that were decent, and in the end, I put together a card that I felt was "good enough." But, what I thought was funny were some of the "outtakes." If I were a more creative person, I'd find a clever way of using these pics for the Christmas card!

Without further ado, here are a few pics that did NOT make the Christmas card this year:

Beach Baby

2009-12-06T13:35:00.003-05:00

I've been MIA the last few days because my dad was in town visiting. He arrived Thursday evening and spent the weekend with us. We had a good visit, and he enjoyed meeting his granddaughter for the first time. And, since part of any visit to FL should include a trip to the beach, we spent yesterday morning doing just that (despite the fact that it wasn't a very sunny day).

So, here's Norah doing "Super Baby" beachside. Here she is with Jerry. She got to dip her little legs and toes into the water.

Here she is with me -- she's clearly more interested in the towel than anything else.

Here she is with my dad; she's wearing her swimsuit cover up here. Yes, not only does she own a large variety of swimsuits, but she also has accompanying swimwear accessories.

And here we are as a family; unfortunately, she's scowling at the camera, but I swear that she didn't have a grumpy moment during the entire outing.

So, I just dropped my dad off at the airport, and it's back to normal for us but only for a few days because Jerry's dad is coming to visit us next weekend. We're referring to this month as "The December of Dads"!

Of Snails, Sprinklers, Snot Rockets and Sweat

2009-12-03T07:08:00.002-05:00

Snails
One hazard of running in the dawn's early light is that the night's snails are still sliming their ways across sidewalks, and I always feel bad if I step on one, so I do my best to keep a sharp eye out for them and avoid crushing them. This is tough to do in the 5 am darkness, but streetlights help illuminate the path and I can distinguish their "snail trails" glistening in the semi-darkness. And lord knows that snails, unlike the lightning-fast lizards, are not fast enough to scurry out of a runner's thundering footfalls, so I always have to be vigilant.

Sprinklers
South Florida has been in a drought for the past few years, so during the winter (which is more accurately called the "dry season"), watering lawns is restricted to either the pre-dawn or post-dusk hours. This means that many communities set the timers on their sprinklers for the time when I am running in the early morning. And unfortunately, it seems that these sprinklers are often times do more watering of the sidewalk than the grass, so I constantly find myself getting sprayed. In some ways, it's not so bad because it's kinda cool and refreshing; but in most ways, it's annoying because the last thing I want on my early morning run is to get splashed in the face with water.

Snot Rockets
I am still somewhat congested, so admittedly, I had to fire off some snot rockets this morning on my run, and one of them did not get much trajectory and I found myself with a stream of boogers on my face. Not so bueno. I had to wipe it off with my hand and then wipe my hand on my shorts. Gross. As Jerry told me last night, "You're cute, but you're filthy."

Sweat
The humidity this morning was 93% (rain is in the forecast), so it was a sweaty, sweaty run, and when I got home, I was literally dripping sweat on the floor of the bathroom as I got ready to shower. Yeah, between the snotty nose and the sweaty face, I was a picture of prettiness. Guess I needed that sprinkler to the face!

Back at It

2009-12-02T07:54:00.002-05:00

After nearly a week with no running, I finally woke up this morning feeling good, so I got out there for an early AM 3 miler. Granted, the running loosened some of that mucus up, so there were some phlegmy coughs and a snot-rocket or two, but that's why running after a cold or flu is good: It helps dislodge up some of that congestion.

Other than simply getting up and actually getting out there for the run, there's not much to report about it.

Holiday Weekend Wrap Up

2009-11-30T09:22:00.006-05:00

Bullet-point style:

Had a nice anniversary with the Jer-Bear. We stayed in and made a nice dinner at home this year, but it was still a nice evening together.
Had a great Turkey Day with friends: We ate lots, drank lots, talked lots, watched some football, enjoyed having kidlets running around this year, and were, in general, merry.
Friday, we put up our tree and decorated our house for Christmas. This means we popped "Christmas Vacation" in the DVD player while we assembled and decorated and wrapped. In our household, it's tradition to hear "Shitter's full!" while we hang ornaments.
We did not get up at 3 am to shop Black Friday. I'm afraid of that kind of shopping.
On Saturday, we spent the afternoon with friends.
And on Sunday, we repeated this, but added football watching and a shrimp boil to the visiting (and, I can say that a shrimp boil is WAY better to enjoy outside in FL in November rather than FL in July).
And through all of that, I did not run much. In fact, the only running I've done in the past 7 days has been the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.
The primary reason for the lack of running has been that I've been sick. Remember last Tuesday when I said I was sick, but I thought it was a 24-48 hour bug? Yeah, turns out it's more like a 168 hour bug. It's been a week, and while I feel better than I sound (I sound like a cross between Darth Vadar and a lounge singer who's been smoking for 30 years), I don't feel great.
Hopefully one or two more days will heal me so I can return to the running.

So, it was a great Thanksgiving Vacation, and it sucks that now it's back to regularly scheduled work. However, only 3 weeks until the end of the semester and then I have two weeks off, so I can't complain too much.

I hope everyone else enjoyed their long weekend and had a great holiday!

Daddy's Girl

2009-11-28T09:08:00.003-05:00

This morning, I got to sleep in while Jerry got up with Norah -- which was a wonderful treat -- but what was funny is that when I got up, I found her dressed in her Godzilla t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and I thought to myself, "Hmmm...a black graphic tee with jeans...this ensemble seems familiar..." Oh, that's right! It's the kind of outfit Jerry always dresses himself in!

He says that he didn't purposely dress her in clothes that resembled his own, but that's what I find the funniest part of this: He dressed her in clothes that he felt went well together, which just speaks to his aesthetic: Boy or girl, he feels that black tees and jeans always look good. Which, I have to admit, despite the fact that she will surely be mistaken for a boy today, I think she looks dang cute! And, Jerry's not so bad himself ;)

And for those on the fence about which one of us Norah resembles, I think these two pics confirm it: She definitely looks like Daddy's girl!

Tamarac Turkey Trot 2009 Race Report

2009-11-26T19:19:00.003-05:00

The turkey trot is always one of my favorite races of the year, primarily because of its convenience: The course goes right past my house, and the start/finish are about a block away. So, race day preparations don't get any easier.

At 6:30, I went over and got my bib and d-tag, then returned home and got Norah and Jerry up. I left Norah in her Turkey Day PJs, fed her and then loaded her into the stroller and we all headed over to the race. Jerry hung out with Norah and Scooter, and I went to the start. This race gets more and more popular each year, and this year, I think there were well over 2,000 participants.

With that many people on a 5K course, there was the usual congestion and dodging of small children, but I had no time goal this morning. I knew I wouldn't come close to a PR of any kind, so I just took it easy and ran at a comfortable pace. Since I've been sick most of the week, this was my first run all week, and it felt good. I finished in 32:07, which is actually not a PW (personal worst) for me: The first year I race this race, back in 2005, I ran it in 33:00, so even now when I'm slow, I'm not as slow as I started out when I first began running.

At the finish, Jerry, Norah and Scooter were waiting to see me, and it was fun to have them there once again. Here are Norah and I (and Scooter is there sniffing at something in the bottom corner) after the race; and yes, it's ironic to have a snowman banner behind me with palm trees behind it. I'm sure there are some Floridians who have never even seen snow, let alone a snowman. All in all, the race was a great way to kick off the holiday, as always.

4 Years

2009-11-25T08:37:00.000-05:00

Happy anniversary Jer-Bear! Love you.

Sicky Sickerson

2009-11-24T06:51:00.002-05:00

Norah came down with a cold over the weekend. We noticed that she seemed a bit congested before she went to bed on Saturday, and by Sunday morning, she had a clear case of Booger Baby. She clearly didn't feel good on Sunday and Monday, but her only distinct symptom was nasal congestion, so we have been doing what we can in terms of clearing her nose out *she HATES the aspirator* and making sure she gets plenty of rest and plenty to eat (a plugged nose doesn't seem to hinder her appetite so that's good).

So, then yesterday, I noticed I had what felt like a dry throat, but obviously, it was the start of my own cold. Thus, I woke up last night to my own running nose, and this morning, feel congested and ucky. Thankfully, there's no fever, so the ick seems to be concentrated in just my head, which is more manageable.

But I still didn't run this morning. Instead, I opted to take a Tylenol Cold and spend the extra time in bed with Kleenex shoved up my nose.

**On the strange side, I dreamt that Norah didn't have a cold; instead, in my dream, she had been teething. So, in the dream, I went into her room and she smiled up at me with 8 teeth! (Yes, I counted them in my dream.) So this morning, when I checked on her, I just had to feel her gums. No teeth. Phew!

A Runner's Risk

2009-11-23T16:43:00.002-05:00

It seems that within the past week, I have heard -- from several different people -- how running poses such a huge risk. No, they weren't talking about ruining one's knees or having a heart attack while running; they were talking about assault.

And, it does seem true that on the news, runners (especially women) are the victims of violent assault or rape. The stories are often frightening enough to prevent some people from engaging in the sport. Because I'm a runner, and a woman, who often runs in the dark, well-meaning friends and family are often warning me about engaging in such a dangerous activity. Generally, I am appreciative that everyone cares for me in this way, but in the end, I am dismissive of their worries.

Don't get me wrong, I don't run in areas I'm unfamiliar with and I don't run through poorly lit neighborhoods. But while I take such elementary precautions, I also simply trust that when I go out the door, I'll be fine. And that's because I have to. If I started worrying about all the risks I am undertaking by going out for a run, I'd never step out the door.

This idea of a runner's level of risk has been stewing within my brain for a few days, and I wanted to check some statistics about it, and here's what some very basic research has revealed: I can't find an actual statistic that reports a runner's risk for assault (if you can find one, thanks, go ahead and post it in the comments), but I can find statistics for a runner's risk of skin cancer (which is pretty high since only 50% of us reported using sun block on a regular basis); I also learned that while a runner has a low risk of being hit by a car, he or she has a pretty high risk of dying in a car accident in which he or she is either a passenger or a driver; I also learned that while 1 in 78,000 runners do risk having a heart attack during an endurance race, engaging in intense physical exercise, like running, reduced a person's chance of a heart attack by 50%. I also learned that while the number of cases of assault and rape are higher now than they were 50 years ago, statistically, violent crime has remained static. But if you are a victim of assault or rape, your chances of your assailant being someone you know are 84%.

So, is the runner's risk of being assaulted like the elusive urban myth of razor blades in Halloween candy? ("Time" just had an article about parenting fears and the magazine reported that there has never been a recorded report of poisoned or tainted Halloween candy. Never-ever. Oh, and a child's risk of being kidnapped is 1 in 1.5 million; whereas, a child's chances of being killed in a car accident are 1 in 6,668.) I'm not sure. Certainly violent crime with runners as victims does exist, but we run risks by doing nearly everything. Even remaining inactive by staying inside and sitting on a safe couch gives us the fairly high risk of becoming obese and dying of heart disease or diabetes.

So, in the end, certainly it's wise to take head of basic safety precautions (we all wear seat belts, right?), but as is the case with most fears: We can't let them imprison us.

Saturday Morning 8 Miler

2009-11-21T11:13:00.002-05:00

This morning, I got up at 4 am in order to be out the door by 4:45 (my previous 30 minute pre-run routine now takes me close to 45 minutes -- I'm getting slower!) for my planned 8 miler. I wanted to be back before Norah got up, and she generally wakes up somewhere between 6 and 6:30, so I had a tight window of time to work with.

The run went well -- it was nice and cool out in the dark of pre-dawn -- with the exception of the fact that I again forgot water (and this time, I even set a water bottle out on the kitchen counter so I'd remember and I still forgot it!). I finished it in 1:25:27, for an average pace of 10:48/mile, and I was back inside the house by 6:15. Just in time to hear Norah grunting and moving around in her crib. Granted, I didn't have time to shower before tending to her, which means she got a sweaty boob, but she didn't seem to mind.

This afternoon I am off to see New Moon with the chicas, so I'd best be off! Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

Jibber-Jabber

2009-11-20T13:22:00.003-05:00

Thanks for the advice/comments about the clogged milk duct; it's good to know you guys are so invested in my boob's health!

And BTW, it cleared up just fine. I was kinda hoping there would be some kind of satisfying feeling like when you plunge a toilet and you hear that "thwop!" and then the water just drains away; instead, the pain and swelling decreased overnight, and then this morning as Norah was nursing, it just suddenly felt completely normal again. So, its un-clogging was rather anti-climatic.

So, with normal feeling boobs again, I think I will get a short run in this evening when I get home from work, and then tomorrow morning, I would like to do something long-ish. I was thinking 8-9 miles, but we'll see what the morning holds.

Also, I registered today for the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving! I can't wait. I seriously love this race, and this will be my 5th year running it!

In general, I am SO looking forward to next week: Short work week, Jerry and I's anniversary on Wednesday, Turkey Trot and Thanksgiving on Thursday, and then on Friday, we plan to decorate the house for Christmas! Ack! So much to look forward to!

Dr Apts, Flu Shots and Clogged Boobs

2009-11-19T16:06:00.005-05:00

I like this picture. It seems as if she's thinking, "Seriously, Mom? Seriously?" Norah had her 3 month check up today and here are her stats:

Height: 24 inches (so she grew another inch)
Weight: 13 lbs 2 oz (so she gained about a pound and a half)

Both her height and weight are just slightly above average (both were 60th percentiles of some kind -- I don't remember exact numbers, percentiles don't mean much to me). In general, she continues to be a healthy girl, and is on track for her developmental milestones. So, really, there wasn't much to report from the doctor visit, which is good. She got two more vaccines, so two more shots that I couldn't bear to watch, but she just cried for a moment, and was a real trooper about them.

After her doctor appointment, Jerry and I had appointments to get our flu shots. I've never had a flu shot before, but it's recommended if you have a child under 6 months (since they can't get one), so I bit the bullet and took the needle in the arm. It wasn't so bad.

So it was a busy morning before dropping her off at DC and heading to work.

On the running front, I didn't run this morning even though I had originally intended to. I woke up with what I believe is a clogged milk duct, so I have a painful lump in my left breast, and I figured that running would probably aggravate that. I'm treating the clogged duct as best as I know how from what I've read (basically two principles: apply heat and pump or feed as often as possible), so I hope it un-clogs soon enough. It hurts.

Run, Run Wednesday

2009-11-18T19:30:00.003-05:00

I got up early this morning for my run, and I feel like I've been "running" ever since -- phew another busy day! It broke down like so:

Got up at 4:45 and went through my normal pre-run routine and then headed out the door at 5:20 for my run.
Ran my 3 miles in 31:45, which has got to be one of my faster morning runs to date.
Showered.
Fed Norah.
Played with Norah.
Got her dressed; then she, Scooter and I went for our morning walk.
Graded papers while she played in her activity gym.
Then, you can pretty much recycle the following activities throughout the morning: feed Norah, change Norah, play with her.
She took a (too) brief nap, and while she slept, I read more papers.
Before we left, Scooter threw up on the bed. Again. He did this on Sunday as well, and I don't know if something is the matter with him or what, but I was a bit peeved with both his timing and his target because with just 15 minutes before I had intended to walk out the door, I had to strip the bed's sheets and start laundry.
Drop Norah off at daycare.
Go to school.
Grade papers during my office hour.
Teach class.
Grade a few last papers in my office.
On my way home: Stop to get gas, stop at ATM, stop at cleaners.
Get home: Put Norah to bed, make dinner, empty dishwasher, continue laundry cycle that I started before leaving for work and which Jerry had picked up when he got home, take out recycling, play with Scooter, eat dinner.
Finished laundry and made bed with puke-free sheets.
Now, it's 7:38 and I am finally sitting down to a moment to myself.

The plan for the rest of the evening? I think at 8, I am gonna crack open a much-needed beer and veg out in front of the TV: I could use the light humor of a mindless barrage of sitcoms.

Requests for Scooter Pic Fulfilled

2009-11-17T08:29:00.003-05:00

Some of you have been asking about Scooter and have requested pics of Scooter, as you feel that he has been neglected here on the blog since Norah's arrival. Don't worry, you're not alone. Scooter also feels he has been unjustifiably neglected.

Scooter is nothing but curious about Norah herself, and he's hugely tolerant of her attempts to reach out and pet him, which mostly means she jabs at his general direction; however, he is extremely jealous of the attention Jerry and I pay her. Keep in mind that we play with Scooter just as much, if not more, as we did before Norah joined our family, but he just can't help himself: He was numero uno before she intruded on that. Thankfully, his jealousy just translates into neediness, not aggression.

We keep assuring him that with time, he's gonna love having her around -- especially once she's big enough to eat, and drop, solid food. My guess is that he will be her constant companion then. Plus, we're hoping that one day when she's older and she's big enough for us to convert her crib to a toddler bed, he'll move in there to sleep with her. For now, he remains with Jerry and I, and of the 3 of us, he's usually the last to rise in the morning: This look seems to say, "What the heck are you people doing up?"

Monday Morning Run

2009-11-16T08:24:00.003-05:00

This morning at 5:30, it was only 58 degrees here, which for me makes for a brisk start for my run, but don't get me wrong: I think 58 is a perfect temp to run in -- cool enough that the air feels comfortable, but warm enough that I can still go out in shorts and sports bra. So, with a cool temp and fresh legs, my run felt really good this morning despite the fact that it was not fast (the 3 miles took me 33 minutes), and I have to admit that I'm kinda liking the early AM run these days.

Granted, it's still tough as hell to be motivated at that ungodly hour, but running through the darkened neighborhood so early in the morning carries a strange sense of satisfaction with it: With so little traffic and virtually no other pedestrians out, it feels like I'm the only person awake then. Plus, I usually have enough time when I get home to shower and have a quick breakfast before Norah wakes up, so it helps to know that the run is entirely "my" time and it doesn't intrude on my family at all.

Of course, I can wax poetic about morning running right now, when it's done for the day, but if you ask me tomorrow morning at 4:50 how much I like it, I might tell you to shove something up your ass.

KBLHR 10K Race Report

2009-11-14T13:26:00.003-05:00

Pre-Race
I got up at 5:15 and got myself ready, then I got Norah up and got her ready, and she, Jerry and I left the house around 6 am. Key Biscayne is a small island in Miami's Biscayne Bay, so it's about an hour's drive from our house. We got there a little after 7, and while Jerry tended to Norah, I went and got my race bib and timing chip, and went about the few pre-race standards, like lining up for the bathroom.

But, because Norah was along, there was one other pre-race necessity: Feed her. So, back in the car, I nursed her, and our timing was perfect: She ate and gave me about 10 minutes to spare before the race start. Here she is pre-race (bundled up because it was a "chilly" 60 degrees out -- one lady congratulated us on bringing the baby out and "braving the cold"): And here she and I are together pre-race; she's still in her jammies:

Race
The 5K and 10K started simultaneously at 7:45, which means that for the first mile, there was the usual congestive nonsense that seems to go hand-in-hand with a 5K: Children, walkers, and those unfamiliar with race ettiquette. But, a little past the conclusion of the first mile, the 10K course and 5K course split off from one another, and the crowd thinned out considerably.

Key Biscayne is mostly a state park, but it also consists of Key Biscayne Village, which is the residential half of the island and that consists of large, multi-million dollar mansions. So, the course wound out of the park and through these neighborhoods, so I was busy oggling the beautiful homes and their picturesque landscaping.

While it had been cool at the race's start, it quickly warmed to a comfortable 70 degrees, and it was sunny, clear, and there was a light breeze. Perfect running weather. So, I just ran at what was a comfortable pace, and enjoyed the views and the weather. The end of the race brought us back into the state park, and we ran the last mile along the ocean, so there were some scenic views there as well.

As I passed the 6 mile marker, the finish line came into sight, and soon thereafter I saw Jerry and Norah. Jerry was waving and holding Norah, who was smiling at every racer who went by her. Really, having them both there at the finish was one of the best feelings ever!

I crossed the finish line in 1:05:20. 20 seconds slower than I would have liked, but I honestly didn't mind. I ran a pretty consistent 10:25 pace, and if I hadn't done so much swerving in that first mile, I probably would have nailed that 1:05 goal.

Post-Race

Yes, I grabbed a beer.

But, I didn't end up drinking too much of it. I guess beer at 9 am is just not for me. Who knew? So, I passed on the unfinished beer to Jerry and drank a water instead.

Afterward, I tended to those typical post-race needs (bathrooms, ditch the shoes, change shirts, etc) and by then, Norah had conked out. Jerry reported that she seemed to enjoy the whole race atmosphere and that she'd been busy watching all the people and smiling at all those who stopped to tell her how cute she was. They also took some time to go down to the beach so Jerry could dip her toes into the Atlantic, so she was pretty tired by the time we were ready to head out.

She slept in the car on the way home, and we decided to stop at Denny's for a big breakfast. She smiled at all the old people in Denny's while Jerry and I gorged on our Grand Slams, and then we all headed home.

All in all, it was a fun, scenic race for my first race back, and it was a great morning with my family!

Cool Weather and Goals for Tomorrow's 10K

2009-11-13T13:10:00.004-05:00

The past few days have blown in some cool, comfortable weather for us here in South Florida, and this morning, it was cool enough to warrant a sweatshirt for Norah when we went on our morning walk with Scooter: This cool weather bodes well for my potential 10K performance tomorrow, so I hope it stays.

And, this brings me to my Declaration of Race Intentions for the Key Biscayne Lighthouse 10K, which shall also be known as Jess' First Race Post Partum!

Pie in the Sky Goal: Beat my previous 10K PR. This is really unlikely to happen. Even though my previous PR of 1:01:25 is not anything fabulous, it would still require me to run a 9:52/mile pace, and based on my recent training runs, that's probably not gonna happen. However, you never know. Cool conditions combined with race day excitement could provide me with the right environment and motivation to push myself beyond my current comfort zone.
Realistic Goal: Finish in 1:05. This would be a 10:27/mile pace, and that's about what I've been able to run lately. If I finished with this time, I'd be very pleased.
Worst Case Scenario Goal: Finish the race before the time cut off of 1:20. The race directions are very clear: Anyone who finishes after this time is disqualified and will be taken out back and pistol whipped. Well...maybe not that last part, but the instructions are so emphatic about the course closing at an hour twenty that you'd think pistol whipping really would be on race directors' minds. A 1:20 finish is a 12:51/mile pace, so I think I can be consistently faster than that, but with such restrictions, walk breaks won't be an option.

So, with goals in mind and race apparel already set out, I think I'm ready for tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Thursday's This and That

2009-11-12T08:42:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was nice to have off. I got my hairs cut: Decided to keep it shoulder length so I could still pull it back in a pony tail, but the stylist cut off about 4 inches, so it feels fresh and a bit more stylish now.

I also got a start on some of my Christmas shopping, and while I did shop for myself as well, I found nothing. I wanted to buy some new clothes (since the last new clothes I bought for myself were maternity clothes!), but I couldn't find anything I liked or that really worked. Shopping at this time of year in FL kinda sucks because everything in the stores in winter-oriented, and while I'd love to buy a heap of cuddly sweaters, when am I gonna wear 'em?

Anyway, it was nice to have the afternoon to myself yesterday.

Today it's back to the "grind," and I was up again at dawn for another AM 3 miler, and it was actually pleasantly cool out this morning, so the run was nice, and I got it done in 31:23 -- a bit faster than normal.

The day off in the middle of week is kinda nice because it breaks up the week, but it's also kinda weird because I don't feel as though I should be returning to work today.