We're off on our first family vacation. It all starts with a 5 am flight, then another flight. I think we'll be in transit for a crazy 10 hours. I hope E flies well. Vamos a ver.
I still have yet to ride trail. Or ride a bike. Or run a 10 since the last half. But things just keep rolling along. This morning I walked away from E in the crib and came back to him standing there smiling and giggling.
Elliot's pretty used to this gig. Because we're following an alternative vaccination schedule, we're in the doctor's office twice as often as a "normal" family. Which is fine with me if it's what it takes, I totally don't trust the government recommendations. And it's fine with him if he gets to ride the elephant or submarine or firetruck table. He likes the crinkly paper they put on it too.
Last night Elliot slept through the night, 9:30pm till 6:30am. I think it happened because Ben fed him a full bottle and put him down at 7pm, then I got home from the airport and fed him again at 7:45pm. Either way, HALLELUIAH. I wanted to celebrate with a run this AM but that doctor's appointment...
I found a super friendly guy on Indy Runner's facebook page who will pick up my race number for the Indy Mini, so the biggest hurdle on that one is behind me. Now I just have to decide what to do about the rest of the race. I don't think I should bring E along- too much travel, too stressful. Looks like I'll just drive down and get the cheapest room I can find. Hmm.
I was in Ft Lauderdale for the last two days for work and had hoped to get some good speedwork done (for the first time in more than a year). I went out at 6pm and ran a nice warm-up mile and a mile of random intervals before the skin of my scalp started crawling from overheating. Going from 40 degrees to 80 and humid ain't easy. I sort of gave up and rather than getting in 2 solid 5 mile workouts I came home with just 3 miles total. Whatever, running doesn't matter anyway.
The internet is predictable. It always says the same things. Generally it includes complaints about the weather, comments on morning coffee/office music selections, remarks about training/workout of the day, and then statements about traffic/commute. I have always tried to avoid these topics.
I'm finding, though, my life has a similar trend, just different topics. Lack of sleep. Lack of time to train. Complaints about laundry/breastfeeding/babyfood. Being slow.
I'm trying to break the pattern and avoid those subjects, but it's resulting in very few blog posts. Hopefully I will get more inspired/creative/interesting in the near future, but in the meantime...
Indy Mini. Logistical headache. If you or someone you know either lives in Indy or is doing this race, please let me know. I've been threatening to take megabus/sleep on a parkbench in order to make this work and it seems a little over the top.
Lately the word surprise usually applies to something inside Elliot's diaper. Saturday morning, it described what I thought when I saw the clock at the finish line. Judi was right- there is secretly hiding somewhere inside me someone who still knows how to run, at least sort of. Last year I ran a 2:30 (14 weeks pregnant). Last month I ran a 2:28 (with little training). Just three weeks later, with no idea what my pace was-- no watch, no splits, no garmin-- I came over the hill to see the finish line say 2:20. Huh. Who knew? I know, it's still slow as molasses, but it's LESS slow. 8 minutes less in one month. That's pretty darn good improvement if you ask me.
The South Shore Half is a little event run on a rec trail. Not hilly, per se, but with a 2-3 climbs in there worth remembering-- far from the flat this Chicagoan is used to. The start is sort of a logjam but it worked in my favor- being surrounded by faster people finally forced me to run, well, faster. Having forgot my gel, headphones, watch, Garmin, and just about everything but my shoes at home, I just ran at my own pace and did my thing. At the completely anti-climatic turnaround (put one cone in the middle of the path, then run around it) I told myself it was time to start passing. I got around all but one of my goal-to-pass people, and that last person heard me coming at 12.5 mi and sped up to avoid it. It was a good day.
Elliot, however, didn't think much of being at my folks house. Unused to his surroundings, he sort of decided not to sleep. Let's hope that turns around quickly. I'm hoping it wasn't caused by the tooth I can feel coming.
Elliot can now pull himself up to standing. Woah. This is not good news for our highly un-baby proof home, where bookshelves and bikes and tools and such sit around every corner, just waiting for a baby to clobber himself with them. I think our best bet is actually to move into a hotel room for the next year or so, then just move back when he's past that phase. Oh, man. That or Molly needs to start doing her job right- for a nanny dog she's a pretty crappy nanny.
Ben and I are venturing to Milwaukee this weekend to spend some time with my family. I'm going to run that half tomorrow morning, too. No idea how it'll go... I've gotten more miles in lately but they're all with the running stroller. I run slower than usual with that thing because of all the cracks and bumps in the sidewalk.
Still trying to figure out a vacation. Ben wants to see mountains. I don't want to sit in a car for 16 hours. Elliot has still never been on a plane. And flights to Calgary are more expensive than flights to Paris, so Banff is out.
Since E was born, Ben and I fell into this pattern. Pizza. Chinese delivery. Pasta with jarred sauce. Packaged Indian food. And occasionally, Ben's favorite, Manwich made with Boca crumbles (that one is particularly hard to admit). It was a matter of getting food into our faces without much work or clean-up while we tended to the laundry, diapers, bottles, and baby. No wonder we felt like crap.
Well, now that Elliot is eating solid food, and now that spring is here, things have got to change. We have a few basic principles for things Elliot eats: organic, no sugar, no salt, no spices, just plain pureed food. My sister generously gave us a bunch of jarred organic food, but we've only used two jars for when we're out. Usually, the food goes in the babycook, diced with skin on, and gets pureed in the moisture left over from steaming. It's just plain food.
Holy cow, when's the last time you tried food this way? We're so busy adding garlic and pepper and cilantro to everything (or letting someone else cook it in a bath of oil) that I had totally forgotten how good food speaks for itself. When E doesn't finish a meal, I do it for him. Sweet potatoes and green beans and English peas just have that pop to their flavor that they lose too easily. And last night I cooked and pureed some nectarines-- wow. That stuff is like a drug calling to me from the fridge. Elliot is one lucky kid.
So this week we ordered a Fresh Picks box and got some amazing produce and I'm jamming on radish sprouts and collard greens and all. I'm bringing salads in for lunch and making my own dressing. I totally forgot how easy and delicious it all is. I can't wait for our CSA to start. Hell yeah, spring.
The hardest time of my day is when I get home from running. I walk in the door and three beings need my attention. First there's Elliot, who wakes up the minute we get home. He's too warm when dressed for an outside run, and he's usually hungry. I can never just feed him immediately, though, since I'm sweaty and he doesn't like the saltiness. And he usually needs a diaper change. Then there's Molly, who expects either to be fed or to get a treat when we get in, and that's all the way down the hall in the kitchen, while Elliot's needs need to be met mostly in his room, right next to the front door. Then there's me. I'm thirsty and hungry and sweaty and need a shower and wouldn't mind stretching from time to time but I assume that's too much to ask. Guess which comes last? I never seem to get it all done- or figure out a proper order for it- and in the end I get screamed at by a baby, whined at by a dog, and shouted at by my legs. Yaaaaaaay, running.
Elliot's great in the stroller, though. Usually he just sleeps. He seems to wake up after about 7-8 miles, though, and just look around quietly, wide-eyed. He only gets upset if he's in dire need of a diaper change or if it's super cold and I"m being a bad mom. Molly handles the whole ensemble ok but insists on running with her nose next to the front of the stroller. I assume she's just protecting her baby. But still she's fine with other dogs around. We take up lots of sidewalk but it hasn't been much of a problem. About 280 pounds of baby and stroller and dog and runner, all just trying to get a workout in.
This week I managed the most miles I've done in a week since I had Elliot - 20. It's sad, since 20 used to be the "floor" of miles I'd never go below. My 10 miler today was tough because my legs were still carrying the 2 5-milers. I was sore but whatever. Run done. I'm hoping to do the South Shore Half Marathon next Sat so I needed to do at least 10.
Oh, and bikes- I should ride some of those. Haven't lately though. That takes child care. And I'm not doing so well in that department when it comes to work out time. I want to head out after I get home at 5:15 or so... Ben doesn't get off work 'till 6.