The Pain of the Treadmill

Day 1 of spring training.  Well, technically day 2 but day 1 was stretching.  It's cold.  It's dark.  And I refuse to run alone in darkness.  Especially cold darkness.  You can see where this is going, right?

Three years ago, I received a treadmill as my first Mother's Day present.  I love that I have it.  I love its convenience.  I love all its cool data points and programs and up/down/fast/slow buttons.  I love that we're the kind of family that has a treadmill and bike trainer and free weights and workout dvds in our basement.  But...

I hate using it. 
Seriously.

Today was an easy 3mi run.  C'mon, Day 2 of the program, what did you expect?  I swear, it felt like it took longer than an 8mi walk outside.  Running, running, huffing, puffing, so sure I've got the first mile almost under my belt and I look down at the display.  Congratulations,  you've gone 1/4 of a mile.  Are you kidding me!?!? 

Yes, I had the tv on to Sex and The City reruns.  And yes, it was awesome that my fabulous husband handled bedtime duty so that I can work out.  But oh I can't wait for warmer, lighter weather so that my Mother's Day gift can again sit and gather dust until next November.

Fitbit

For my birthday this year, one of my gifts was a Fitbit Ultra.  My sweet husband is constantly looking for ways to encourage me to move even when life or my own lack of motivation gets in the way.  A new bike jersey and this cool little device.  Not only is it a super sweet pedometer, but it tracks sleep and has an online calorie counting program as well.  Pretty cool!

The thing I'm noticing is that having that little counter on your hip is a pretty darn good motivator in and of itself.  Hm, it's 30 degrees, but that's okay.  Since we're out dropping off a birthday invitation down the street, might as well take my willful preschooler for a walk around the whole block to burn off some of her energy as well. 

I'm trying to tell myself that from now on, if I'm shy of my daily targeted steps, I'll be hitting the treadmill before bed to make up the difference.  Proof of concept -- just spent almost an hour downstairs watching the Pro Bowl while making up some final miles for the day.  The only downside is, I can't take the Fitbit into the building I work in, which means that 8hrs of my day aren't being tracked!  Perhaps that's good, perhaps not. 

In any event, this week it was useful to have this little guy, since there wasn't a warm breeze beckoning me on the trail.  Last weekend's warmth was followed by the coldest temps we've seen in two years.  Jiminy crickets was it cold out there!!!!!  Only 50 days until spring. And just six weeks after that is my first real race of the season so training officially starts next week.

Naivete Can Hurt

Yes, call me a chump.  I was a believer.  No one could be so vociferous in defending themselves, so nasty and litigious in the face of accusations, and actually be guilty.  It seemed improbable, it seemed like the miracle he claimed it was, it was a heroic story.

Except it wasn't.  And I feel hurt.  The yellow bracelets have been thrown away.  The posters extolling hard work as the reason behind being a champion have come down from the makeshift gym in our basement.  The books will go in the Goodwill pile.  Now if only the anger in my stomach would go away.  As an athlete, I admired him.  As I watched family members build lives after cancer, I turned to him as a vision of what was possible.  LiveSTRONG, right?

Honor is a character trait that I take very seriously.  He is dishonorable.  And, if my perceptions of his interview are accurate, he's not really remorseful which means he still hasn't found a way to regain whatever honor he might one day have had. 

Are there really no heros any more? To whom do I look when I need inspiration? Who can I point to when my daughter asks who I admire? 

I'm saddened that I was so naive as to believe in the face of unlikely odds.  And, I defended the downright horrible ugliness that was his defense against what turned out to be those who stated the truth.

Why does it matter so much? 

A new year

Global warming is real, don't let anyone tell you differently.  I'm sure that a lot of it is the result of humans, but I also think it's possibly part of the cycles of climate change on this planet over millions of years.  Either way, as a parent I worry about the implications.  As a person, I love it!  How else could I enjoy a 60 degree day on the trail in mid-January!

While pushing my now almost-3yr old in her stroller, I thought about this dormant blog.  I realized it's been almost 2yrs.  The ankle has healed, although it makes its presence known every time I get even a little active, even as simple as climbing stairs. 

I also realized that it's time.  It's time to try and bring the word athlete back into the description of who I am.  Since that last post, I've done a few road races ranging from 5Ks to a half marathon, and 2 or 3 triathlons.  Yet, on a day to day basis, I have been almost singularly focused on being the best mother and wife I can be. 

As my little girl is getting older, though, and notices when I sweat or asks if I'm going to go exercise, it occurs to me that I had made a promise to myself way back when.  A promise that my daughter would grow up in a household that was healthy and active, with a strong and fit mother as a role model.  And right now, I'm failing in this promise. 

You know how sometimes you see yourself in a dream or imagine what you look like? I've realized that the image of myself in my dreams no longer matches reality.  That stubborn ten pounds that has me straining against my jeans, that's slowed my already slow pace, that has impacted my self esteem more than it should.  And, in not too distant history I had a birthday.  One of those big milestone birthdays with a "0" at the end.  That means, becoming again who I want to be is definitely not going to get any easier. 

While I strongly doubt that anyone has even stumbled upon this blog in years, I'm feeling the need to make a sorta public statement.  Not a New Year's resolution.  More a reclamation of a promise.

There isn't an Ironman in the near future, but there's a lot between that and sitting on the couch.  Don't get me wrong, infinite games of Candyland and snuggling while reading Bear on a Bike or Goodnight Moon are as close to perfect as life comes.  And there is a place for it here.  That means, though, that I need to re-appear here as mom, wife, and yes, athlete once again.  Older, slower, yet hopefully an athlete nonetheless. 

"Yikes, this hurts!"

Boot and brace are now off.  I'm spending all my days in a grody pair of old running shoes slowly learning to walk normally again.  To avoid flexing my foot, I'd been walking with my leg turned out towards the side.  Turns out, I can't walk that way forever (laugh).  Anyway, I'm in my 3rd week of physical therapy and the therapists are pushing me hard.  Most people dread p.t., but I'm actually enjoying it.  I get to ride the stationary bike, do leg presses and squats among other things and get a massage at the end.  It's like a great day at the gym!

It's the at home exercises and beginning to put in some daily walks that hurts.  Walking down the stairs still absolutely kills.  Part of me is scared that it will feel like this forever.  People have already warned me that I'm now going to be prone to early-onset arthritis.  I'd like to believe I'll be on the starting line come August, but am nervous.  Yet, in a fit of "this won't be the fourth season in a row that I'm only doing one triathlon" I'm signing up for a mini-sprint in late August and contemplating fitting one more in during the month of September.  Might be overkill.  Then again...  I turn 40 next year and am starting to contemplate big plans.

Getting Closer

Progress is slow but hopefully steady.  I'm 5-1/2 weeks post injury and starting to actually walk with the crutches instead of hopping around on just one foot.  Not yet ready to walk unassisted, and still wearing the oh-so-attractive "boot".  My clients are just thrilled that I show up for work in yoga pants and cardigans rather than business suits.  But really, would you hop around and slide up and down the stairs on your butt while wearing a business suit? I didn't think so.

The goal is to be both walking and driving by the end of the month.  This is going slowly, but it's my ankle.  If it doesn't heal correctly, life will suck for a long long time, and I'm too young to limp forever ya know?

As I'm starting to walk on it I'm realizing that my calf muscle has completely atrophied.  My first day or two the leg actually wobbled when I put weight on it.  Before I can think about running, I'll be doing tons and I mean tons of calf raises.  For now I'm simply starting with some simple muscle contractions - clenching and relaxing the muscle to try and start toning it even while in the cast. 

A short term challenge is that my mom has been here since the day I broke everything, and she is leaving on Saturday.  She has commitments in Ohio that she can't miss.  We'd hoped I'd be mobile by then.  This is going to place a huge burden on the husband, and much pain and tears for RJ since Mommy can't carry her and Grandma won't be here to cater to her every whim.  Send us good vibes for a speedy return to normality!

I Promise I'm Not Gone Forever

Yep, it's me.  I wish I had something to say and promise I'll be back in blogland eventually.  After setting an ambitious 2011 racing agenda, I fell on the ice in an unplowed parking lot and broke my ankle in three places in late January.

NOT a happy camper these days.  Working/whining from home.  Feeling even more slothful.  Angry that the snow will start melting and March's trail race won't happen.  May's Rev3 won't happen.  And, June's wine country half marathon probably won't happen.  So, I have very little to write on a tri-focused blog.

On a happy note, I am reading your blogs.  And on an even more special note, my little RJ turned 1 yesterday.  It's been an amazing and beautiful year with her!

Train hard.  Run a mile, do a pushup, swim a set for me and hopefully I'll have tales to tell soon!

Even my feet are out of shape - grody aftermath

More than a week after Giant Acorn, and another lesson learned.

Normally if a race is an Olympic or sprint, I don't bother with socks for the run.  For whatever reason, I had socks with me in transition two weekends ago, but didn't put them on.  As a result, my now-soft, non-calloused feet ended up with two blisters each on the tops of my feet where the uppers rubbed.

Not a huge deal, until yesterday.  Took RJ out for a 2hr hike while she napped, and wore socks with those same shoes to keep the rubbing to a minimum and avoid further chafing.  Came time to take the socks off last night, and the residual scabs from the race pulled right off.  Blood everywhere.

Triathlon is the sport that keeps on giving apparently! 

Giant Acorn postscript

Gratuitous baby photo...

hadn't uploaded before I wrote my race report, but this is what awaited me at the finish line.  How could I not be motivated? 

Mommy AND Triathlete!!!

Well, I did it! My times were nothing to write home about, but I did it.


A few years ago, we got our friends and neighbors Brodie and Eric into triathlon. Eric’s first race was the Giant Acorn in Lake Anna, Virginia, and he has made it a point to race it every year since. This year, they invited us to stay with them at their lake house and race Giant Acorn as well. After much discussion, Stuart was emphatic that I needed to participate in a tri this year, simply to know that I could do so.

Distances were short – 750m swim, 12mi bike and a 5k run. Just a year ago, this was an event I wouldn’t even have trained or tapered for – it would have been a training day in its own right. Instead, I found myself more nervous than I was in the run up to last spring’s half iron.

Brodie ended up not joining us, but Eric and his youngest son were great hosts on Saturday night. Sunday morning we headed over to the race site. I’d decided not to rent the wetsuit, but quickly learned when we arrived that the water temp had dropped from a fairly warm 78 down to a less delightful 73. However, that was still quite a bit warmer than the chilly 50-something degree air temps. Poor RJ was bundled up to the gills, but still wasn’t too happy about being there!

Setting up my gear in transition took a little bit longer than normal, a sign that I was indeed out of practice, but I got things set up without too much hassle. That done, we had close to an hour before the race began when RJ started to wail. So, in a bold step towards combining mommyhood and triathletedom, I sat down behind a tree for some semi-privacy and nursed my little one. Eventually though, it was time to head for the water.

Standing knee deep in water waiting to take our places for the in-water start, I had one of the best moments of the day. I said something out loud about how this was a bad idea, or how I was nervous or something like that. Two women near me asked if it was my first tri or my first open water swim. I responded that it was my first race since having a baby earlier in the year. The response was amazing! At least half a dozen women said “wow, that’s awesome”. One said “you’re the role model for the rest of us that we can do that, too”! As we walked into the water one of the women asked my name and said she’d be looking for me and cheering me on. The announcer called out the 30second warning and I heard a “Good luck, Tamara” from somewhere in the water. What a great way to return to racing!

I’m a bit disappointed with my swim time, but will attribute it to going a bit off course and having to stop and clear a few lung-fulls of water. I’d only been in the pool a handful of times in the last 7 months, but felt pretty smooth. Oh well. RJ’s taking a waterbabies class once a week, so Stuart and I will rotate getting in a workout and taking the class with her which means I’ll be in the water at least a few times over the winter. And hopefully more than that! I will say that I’m glad I didn’t bother with the wetsuit. Maybe it would have saved a minute on the swim, but I noticed a lot of long T1 times that I attribute to having to take the darn thing off.

Jumping on my bike was the “coming home” feeling. I love riding. Since I’m so out of shape, I left the HR monitor and cycling computer at home, since the data would have been meaningless. As a result, I was riding by feel only without a sense of speed. The rolling course really only had one or two hills – and I wouldn’t even have considered them real hills had I been in real racing shape. Overall though, I passed more people than passed me (not hard when you are a slow swimmer!) which was a good feeling.

As I approached T2, I saw Stuart and RJ at the side of the road cheering for me. My transition times are usually pretty speedy, but those have suffered as well. But, I was out on the course before I knew it. Nothing felt so good as taking a quick break to hug and kiss my favorite fans. The run course had been billed as flat by our buddy Eric, but I’m not trusting him any more! A few flats, but mostly a series of long downhills and some long inclines. Again, without a HR monitor, I ran on feel, settling into a comfy pace. Half way through, I got another little pick-me-up when a female runner passing the other direction yelled out “way to go Mom, keep it up!”

Before I knew it , I was headed for the finish. Stuart and Riley were there with big smiles. Well, Stuart was smiling. RJ was just happy to be back in my arms. We wandered off towards the water’s edge, and settled RJ down with another nursing before gathering my gear from transition and heading home. I know it sounds funny to mention that here, but to me it’s really important. One of my biggest worries about training and racing is how she’ll manage without me, and whether I’m cheating her out of time with me – her mommy and source of food. This was really a validation that it can be done. That my pre-baby identity as a triathlete can be assimilated into this new life.

On the way home, Stuart reiterated how important this race was. Now, I can look towards 2011 with excitement, instead of trepidation. When you fall off the bike, the quicker you get back on the better. So true in this case. We’ve got a few more running events before year’s end, but I’m already thinking about next year’s race season.

I’m back!!

Rent a wetsuit or suck it up?

First, I'll admit that my wetsuit still doesn't fit post baby.  Embarrassing, but there it is.  Even if all the rest of the weight was gone, thanks to not bottle feeding RJ, the "up top" portion of me wouldn't squeeze in there anyway.  (ok so there's one benefit to having a baby!)

Official water temp will be taken on Sunday morning, but as of last night the lake was 77.8 degrees, just barely within the wetsuit legal category.  So, do I pay $35 to rent a wetsuit, or just tough it out?

1. $35 isn't exactly going to make the difference in paying our mortgage, rent the damn wetsuit.
2. I'll be even slower than I already am compared to the rest of the field without the advantage of neoprene.
3. The air will be cold, and it'll keep me warm before the race starts.

On the other hand
1. It's only 750m. I'll lose more time getting out of the wetsuit in T1 than I'll gain during the swim itself (maybe).
2. The air temp is only going to be in the 50s or 60s.  Even without the wetsuit, that water will feel warm compared to the air.
3. I don't want to be embarrassed in front of the tri store employees asking for a bigger wetsuit (ah vanity, vanity).

If you were me, what would you do?

T-12 Days...and my parents are laughing

Stuart and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary yesterday (aww), and RJ is seven months old today (awwww), so we took the time to relax yesterday and take a leisurely stroll around the 'hood with RJ, Joe and Ally (both of whom still clearly miss their brother Nick).

Anyway, none of that really has anything to do with the story.  Point being, my parents called and we were setting plans for their latest visit when I mentioned that the weekend of Oct 2-3 was out since I had a triathlon.  The long pause followed by "You're doing a triathlon!?" was pretty funny. 

Next question was "Have you been training?" 

"Of course not, well, not nearly enough.  But, it's only pain.  I was in labor for 58 hours, remember" was my reply.

Funny.  If I recall, when I was in labor I told myself it wasn't nearly as hard as a triathlon since at least I'd get breaks in between contractions.

I think I'm missing something. 

My heart aches...

I've been avoiding writing this post, but know that I have to.  I also know that I need to keep it short so that I don't turn into a teary mess.

My sweet sweet running partner Nick crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 28 August.  I'm not sure that I've ever had to make a harder decision in my life, but Stuart and I realized that it was time. 

It's a long story, but he had psychologically snapped.  Prozac wasn't helping.  He was living unhappy, with his tail beneath his legs and becoming aggressive towards Stuart and the other dogs.  He loved Riley and me, but wasn't able to adjust to being yet another rung lower on the dominance pole once she was born.  Multiple consultations with the vets, and a visit with the behaviorist, and the consensus was that he was miserable.  Normally, when you think about "quality of life" in determining when your four-footed friend is ready for heaven (and I do believe with all my heart that our pets go to heaven), you think about physical infirmities.  Like the others, he was aging and starting to slow down.  His last run with me was last autumn, and his last long walk this spring left him limping for days.  But, he was basically physicially healthy.  Mentally and emotionally though, he was beyond redemption in terms of his happiness and life's balance.

We've cried so much since then.  The house is so much quieter -- it's really highlighted how much of the energy and noise emanated from that one sweet creature.  We had always joked that of all the dogs, Nick would live forever since he was too stupid to know how to grow old.  Never did we imagine that we'd reach this day.

Running without that goofy dog alongside wagging his tail, looking up for approval, doing his run-a-poops, and gratefully sharing my water bottle won't ever be the same.

Starting Over....really, I am

Until R.J. entered the picture way back when as a cute little embryo, the big deal about 2010 was my planned Ironman debut.  Yesterday, my cousin toed the starting line and crossed the finish line at Ironman Louisville, and it was bittersweet for me to track her progress all day.  I was so proud of her, but needless to say, also a bit sad that it was her achievement and not mine.  And yes, I know, I wouldn't trade RJ for anything, but still...

So, while she was out on her bike ride around the Kentucky countryside and my Trifuel friend Kylie was tooling around British Columbia at Ironman Canada, Stuart dragged me out onto my trusty Orbea to see if I remembered how to get in the aero position.  Then answer is yes, but boy is it a lot tougher when your core is made of mush!  Note to self...more crunches and planks!!

Rather than focusing on what I didn't achieve athletically this year, I'm starting from the beginning with a new set of goals.
1. One triathlon before the year is out.  I'm registered, now to actually do some training! Amazing how the sprint I'm now signed up for seems as scary as the Ironman that I'd orginally planned upon.

2. A few more running events for the fun of it -- my first trail race, a Turkey Trot, and maybe a few more.

3. Revamping the Ironman goal to concide with my 40th birthday.  Now that Ironman Louisville is off the table, I'm searching for a new "get me excited to look forward to it" iron-distance event.  I have one idea, Stuart has another.  Any inputs from anyone as to a fun and memorable race? Remember, we'll have a 2 or 3yr old in tow....

Comeback Race...and a surprise

It took longer than I thought, and the race was shorter than I thought, but I did it! My return to racing is official. The Caribbean Sounds 5K was this past weekend here in DC. Back in May, it poured rain on the day of the Northern Virginia Girls on the Run 5k, and one of my girls didn’t make it out. I promised to run a 5K with her this summer as a “make up” race so that she could earn her GOTR finisher’s medal. This young lady is just a sweetheart, bubbly and energetic.

We found this race and got ourselves signed up. Believe it or not, I was actually nervous for a 5K. Nervous! Apparently that’s what happens when you’re still 17lbs above pre-pregnancy weight and not in any regular workout regimen. Who cares, it was going to be fun regardless, right?

And it was. Short race, so not much to say about it. Short doesn’t mean easy, though. The race was in Rock Creek Park – gorgeous. First half, literally was all downhill. The return, therefore, was straight up. Yeah the occasional false flat, but basically all uphill.

We weren’t really in any true hurry – Girls on the Run is about doing your best, not winning or being objectively fast. So, we kept a consistent pace and chatted, and walked a few times during that last mile or so when this GOTR felt she needed to catch her breath (truth be told – I did, too!).

Expecting her parents, Stuart and baby Riley to be cheering for us at the finish line we were surprised to find them off to the side chatting and reading the paper. It turns out that our GOTR’s best 5K time ever was about 47minutes…and we’d just done this in 34:15 so they weren’t even looking for us yet! She was SO excited and proud of herself, and I’m just as proud of her.

Results were posted today, and as a fun surprise for me…I actually placed 3rd in my Age Group! Now, with a time in the 11min/mi range, clearly this wasn’t a competitive field, but I’ll take it any day!  Better even than that though, was the sweaty hug and kiss I shared with my sweet little Riley at the finish line.

Life Before the Life I Have Now

So often you hear people say "I can't even remember what life was like before I had my baby."  With only ten days left in my maternity leave, I find myself saying something different -- "I can't imagine life without her."  Although I can't fathom a world without Riley now, that doesn't mean that I don't still remember my pre-baby life.  And, there are times when (selfishly) that's hard.

Summer is normally a time when I sweat...a lot.  90 degree days you add another layer of sunscreen and an extra water bottle before heading out for a 50mile ride.  Panting my way through a short run, and then a cold margarita (or two!) on the porch later that day to top it off. 

When I learned I was pregnant, I had such high hopes for my maternity leave.  I pictured long walks/runs with a compliant baby in the jogging stroller.  While she took those long baby naps, I'd be on my bike trainer or doing power yoga.  By the time I went back to work, I'd have lost not only all the baby weight, but an additional ten pounds.  Heck, this was going to be better than life before baby.

Ha.
HA.
HA HA HA.

I didn't count on an infant who slept in catnaps, and only in my arms.  I forgot about Washington's brutal weather and "Code Orange" days where infants and old people shouldn't be outside.  I didn't realize how challenging it would be to not be able to be apart from my baby for more than 1.5-2hrs because I'm nursing. And, I didn't count on how gosh darn tired I would be (since my plan was to sleep during all those long baby naps!).

Instead, I go back to work on July 1st and my heart is breaking.  My precious baby who sleeps in my arms for most naps will be in the arms of someone else.  For a while, my mom and my husband until she starts actual daycare in mid-August.  That doesn't matter.  It won't be me.  And, while I'm in better shape than I was the day I gave birth(!), the majority of my work clothes still don't fit.  I don't have a single race on my schedule.  The 10K I'd planned got hijacked by a trip to Ohio for my very ill mother-in-law. 

I'm desperately missing triathlons, but don't know how on earth I'm going to make it happen.  Heck, right now I don't even know how I'm going to manage working and making sure my baby doesn't forget me.  How long can I continue to define myself as a triathlete without having done one? Last night I sat down and caught up reading some of my favorite blogs and it made me remember that old life.  I went to bed thinking about how I might someday meld the two -- seeing my daughter on the sidelines cheering me on while I race. 

Somehow it will all work out.  In the meantime, I am kissing my sweet Riley as often as I can.  I'm working out when I can, including starting today's Trifuel 50 Day Core Challenge.  I'm seeking a race before year's end that will challenge but not humiliate me.  And, on the bright side, I'm getting my daughter started on an endurance lifestyle early....including her first foray into the pool.

Duh - burning calories

Today I met up with our former neighbor and her new baby, Blake.  Jen and her husband moved to NYC a few years ago, but coincidentally Blake and Riley were born on the very same day! This was our first chance to get the two of them together, swap stories and take tres' cute photos.

Jen is about 5 inches taller than me, and has always been super slender, especially compared to me.  So it wasn't a surprise to see that while I'm still in clothes a size or two larger than what was hanging in my closet pre-baby, she has not only lost all the weight but appears to be even more slender thanks to new baby stress and lack of sleep.

We were talking about this and how each of us has or has not regained our bodies.  And it occured to us...on a daily basis, she just has so much more walking in her life.  She wasn't surprised that I was hitting the trail with the baby in her jogging stroller, knowing how much I miss triathlon and being active.  I might get in an hour walk or run with Riley each day (and not always every day, unfortunately).  But then I jump in the car to go the 2miles to the grocery store, and the mile to the post office and the 3miles to the book store, etc...  Meanwhile, Jen might not be doing true workouts, but she is putting in as many if not more miles than I am simply by living in New York.  As she told me today, just to take her son to the pediatrician requires a two mile walk.

It's silly that I hadn't really processed it before.  But in our little suburb, the trail is a block away, and so I do my workouts but I'm not "going anywhere".  It's not intuitively obvious that I could walk to the store and just do shopping for today.  Or walk to the post office to buy stamps.  Arlington is a pedestrian friendly city, in that there are sidewalks and trails everywhere.  You just don't see people using them as transportation as opposed to workouts, so it doesn't naturally occur to me.  Now I'm going to try...

It's like starting from scratch

With the weather finally stabilizing in spring mode, Riley and I are taking every opportunity to get out of the house.  Whether it's walks in the neighborhood, or efforts at "running" on the trails, I'm beginning to log some miles. 
My "comeback race" is now less than a month away, the Zooma 10K in Annapolis.  A year ago, I was daunted by the concept of potentially training for a 50K endurance race with Star.  Now, after 9-1/2months of pregnancy, 4wks of bedrest, and 8wks of post-birth recovery, a 10K seems like just as momentous of a hurdle.

What I am calling runs these days, most people would call the Jeff Galloway run/walk method.  Nice little interval workouts, except those run intervals are still pretty short.  For now, I'm enjoying two aspects of this though.  First, man oh man had I forgotten just how good it feels to really sweat!  My arms and face are getting a touch of color, and I have that pleasantly salty, sweaty, I worked hard feeling at the end of one of these 3-5mile jaunts.  By the time we get home, Riley is usually hungry, and she's getting used to the taste of salty milk for now.

The second piece of this is that my goal is to actually increase my normal running speed.  I realized that if I'm starting from scratch in building fitness, I might as well make those run intervals at a faster pace - with the goal of coming back with a 9min/mi instead of a 10 or 11min/mi pace.  We'll see if it works, but for now I'm enjoying it.

Stuart is committed to helping me get my fitness back and drop these stupid pounds.  So Mother's Day was a lot of fun around here.  My gift -- a TREADMILL -- should be delivered this week.  And, Riley and I had a wonderful run together that day.  Not sure when a triathlon will fit into my season, but it will.  Somehow.

And running with the jogger it is!

Yay, no need to wait for Stuart to get home to get in some (very slow) runs....  I talked to the pediatrician's office today.  I'm on smooth trails, Riley's in her carseat with the "snuzzler" head support, and she herself already has pretty good head support.

So, pushing this heavy thing, I did about 90min worth of intervals while she blissfully slept.  How excited am I!?!?  Now, at least until we are both back at work, our evenings won't have to become debates over who deserves a workout more.

Slowly but surely

Well, I still haven't made it to the pool or gotten on my bike...does that mean I'm now only an athlete instead of a triathlete? 

Seriously though, life will never be back to "normal", I'm redefinig what that looks like and know that it'll change again when I return to work, as Riley gets older, as she is weaned, as she enters high school, etc, etc, etc... That being said, she is becoming a baby instead of a newborn, and more often than not I actually get a shower on any given day!  And, more and more I'm getting a workout in as well.  She's learning to like or at least tolerate the carseat and therefore get a nap while I log a few miles.

Friend and baby buddy Jen just returned to work this week, but we've had a good power walk or two togehter.  And, how excited am I, but it turns out that one of the women in my new moms group is a running coach/JFK 50-miler 9-time finisher/Ironman-in-training-before-getting-pregnant!  So, we're planning a regular get together starting next week.  Rumor has it that I might even be able to run with the baby jogger before the 6month mark, so now all I need is clearance from the pediatrician.  That will rock, since right now my real workouts are limited until after Stuart gets home or the weekends since I'm getting in long walks during the day but haven't been willing to run with Riley. 

On a down note, we are officially pulling Stuart from IM Lake Placid.  Serious training just hasn't happened.  Plus, my vacation days are all getting dumped into maternity leave, so Riley and I couldn't even make the trip with him.  Needless to say, I'm now trying to do the "buck up little camper" dance with Stuart, reassuring him that there are Ironmans in our future, just not as soon as we'd planned.

Meanwhile, my apologies to all my favorite bloggers, I have much to catch up on in your lives since reading and writing blogs has not been the easiest.  Plus, a triathlon-based blog can only be so interesting when my life currently revolves around eating, sleeping and pooping.  Hmm...actually kind of sounds like tri training without the requisite sweating!