I had been fighting a nasty cold last weekend and it lingered a bit. I was going to go the gym and swim Wednesday morning a little later than normal since I was off work. I decided to sleep instead. I did not sleep well and was still having a difficult time breathing at night. I woke up stuffed up again and not as rested as I would have liked to been. I did not really have the opportunity to exercise later on. I really felt drained by the female related health issues I have been dealing with. Plus I was playing cat and mouse with my doctor and the pharmacy to get my prescription filled before Thanksgiving. All in all the day got better by the afternoon. The female issues are finally getting under control again and I was able to get my prescription in time.
On Thursday Derek and I ran in the Keizer Turkey Dash--his third year running it and my fourth. I really did not run with him this fall as much as I would have liked. It has been really difficult working until 5 and then trying to run with him in the evenings. He is pretty active and could run 2 miles straight without stopping in October so I knew he would do fine. Still I wish I could have done some more runs with him. The weather was supposed to be terrible--lots of rain and wind. He did not have much running gear for rain. His shoes actually broke a few days ago. On Tuesday night I managed to get him a good pair of running shoes for a decent price. On Wednesday I was able to get him a long sleeve running shirt and polyester sweatshirt. The air temperature was in the 40's so I knew he would be OK. He wore a t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, and his race t-shirt plus a hat and mittens. I just remember running with Hailey in a race in December when all she had on was a long sleeve shirt and running jacket...and she froze. Like we were concerned she had hypothermia and it was a little scary. It turns out he was overdressed, but I would rather de-layer than be freezing. He ran almost the whole 5K except for two little walk breaks that were probably 1 minute or less. By the aid station I helped him de-layer by shedding his sweatshirt, hat, and gloves. I didn't mind carrying them the rest of the race.
He got 32 minutes 46 seconds which is about 10 1/2 minute miles. He took about three minutes off his time from last year. I was pretty proud. He has the endurance down and he is really good on hills. He has dragged me up the huge Jones hill twice and he can run the whole way without stopping. He is more motivated to do hills than I am. Honestly it has helped me tackle hills this fall.
We are looking at doing an obstacle course race in February. Then I am hoping he can run with the Immanuel Track Team. If he can't, I want to be more proactive with running with him in the spring. I will probably run with Kara again as well in the spring.
Tonight I went to the gym. Rob & Hailey got sick with the same cold I had last weekend. There was not much to do at home. I decided to swim and push myself to swim a full mile. I did it and it took like 50 minutes. I did a combination of workouts and strokes. I felt so great afterwards. I really need to keep working on my swimming and pushing myself--I do get lazy with it.
I am going to do a long run this weekend and if I can do so pain free or mild pain, I will consider the holiday half. If I can't, I may do the Jingle Bell Dash 5K instead. I was not in pain doing Turkey Dash but I can feel my IT band is not as good as it was this summer. Here's hoping some rolling and stretching can heal it or at least keep it from getting worse. I think that's why swimming is so nice--so much easier on your body and you still get a great workout.
Friday, November 25, 2016
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Changing bodies
I've not been keeping up this blog at all but I have been exercising this fall pretty faithfully. I had a bad sore throat in late September that felt like strep. I did go in and it wasn't strep--just a nasty virus. That kept me out of the gym and running for a week. While were in Florida I also did not run, but we did tons of walking. This past week I caught a nasty cold from the day care kids but I was only out Saturday, Sunday & yesterday. Still could work yesterday and felt fine--just could not get up early and go to the gym.
I feel like since I am nearing 40 my body is not what it once was. That is hard for me to accept. I never used to call the doctor or go in for things because I never really needed to. Now I am dealing with a female problem that I am hoping will resolve itself. I have been having IT band again off and on when I run. I am not sure if it is that because it is not as intense as before. It is still pain and I question if my marathon running days are over and I can only do shorter distances.
Rolling, stretching, weight training really seems to help. My muscles are really tight from laying around most of the weekend. I have not stretched since Friday. This morning I ran with Tracy. It was one of those mornings where I did not have a hard time getting up and I felt energetic for once. While we were running my chest felt tight, breathing was hard, and I had a side stitch off and on which I don't usually get. My IT band started hurting around third mile. I got through it and completed four and a half miles. I need to use this blog to track how often the leg pain occurs. I am really enjoying running this fall--like I have been doing awesome on hills like never before. My speed was up. I am hoping taking better care of my body with good stretching, rolling, and strengthening my glutes will be enough.
I feel like since I am nearing 40 my body is not what it once was. That is hard for me to accept. I never used to call the doctor or go in for things because I never really needed to. Now I am dealing with a female problem that I am hoping will resolve itself. I have been having IT band again off and on when I run. I am not sure if it is that because it is not as intense as before. It is still pain and I question if my marathon running days are over and I can only do shorter distances.
Rolling, stretching, weight training really seems to help. My muscles are really tight from laying around most of the weekend. I have not stretched since Friday. This morning I ran with Tracy. It was one of those mornings where I did not have a hard time getting up and I felt energetic for once. While we were running my chest felt tight, breathing was hard, and I had a side stitch off and on which I don't usually get. My IT band started hurting around third mile. I got through it and completed four and a half miles. I need to use this blog to track how often the leg pain occurs. I am really enjoying running this fall--like I have been doing awesome on hills like never before. My speed was up. I am hoping taking better care of my body with good stretching, rolling, and strengthening my glutes will be enough.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
First Week of the School Year
I have not posted since the end of July. One of the main reasons is because I had not been doing much exercise-wise at all. I took a much needed break that I desperately needed. It was a harder summer compared to others. I am not going to say it was bad because we made some wonderful memories. I had to tackle some life lessons especially mid July to mid August. I dealt with increased anxiety I could not share about in detail. Even though this blog is mostly for me to track my exercise and mental health, I felt a pull to be private about my struggles. I did not share it with hardly anyone outside my family. I think that was a wise decision.
I read a very helpful book. It is not one of those how-to books with tips. Follow steps A - J and you will be a successful mom. It is simple and more of a bedrock foundation for parenting older kids. It is easy to implement every single day and it has helped me identify some of the reasons my anxiety was getting out of control. It did make a difference.
I am also seeing Dr. C in October in regards to hormonal imbalances. I probably should have done this years ago and kept putting it off. I did not think it was a big deal nor a huge problem. I was encouraged to do it. I have a consult and we will go from there. I may see a Naturopath as well but I was told to start with my own doctor. I do get the bad crazy hormone days but I have much better self control. I still hate them.
I did a little bit of exercise last week but this is the first week back into it. My goal is to run a half marathon in December. So here's what I did this week:
Monday (Labor Day) - We had a really nice family day. We went apple picking, went out the park in Keizer, shopping at Target and out to dinner. I took a long walk with Kara at the park. It was beautiful outside and a perfect way to end the summer.
Tuesday - Ran 4.14 miles with Tracy. I started at 5:25 AM and it was SO dark out. I have not run in the darkness in a long time. I thought it would be a struggle. I ran only three miles on Sunday and had a hard time. I felt out of breath and had to walk. This run was a lot better. We did go up some big hills, but I managed to maintain a 9:39 pace. I was slower on Sunday.
Wednesday - Swam 31 laps. It was great to be back in the pool again with friends. I worked on form and perfecting my stroke a bit better as well. We had a really good workout. This was my bad hormone day as I felt jittery, jumpy, anxious, and sweaty at times throughout day. I was in Target shopping and felt on the edge of panic. It is so hard to describe because it does not make a lot of sense. I had the day off from work and all the kids were in school--but I could not fully enjoy it because of what was going on in my body.
Thursday - Group Power. I woke up and felt significantly better. I increased my weight slightly from the week before and it was a very good workout. The day was much smoother because I did not feel nearly as jumpy or jittery. My brain could focus again.
Friday - Day Off. I did take Monday off but Friday will be my official day off so I wanted to stay on schedule.
Saturday - Group Ride. I like the 8 AM Ride classs. It is a good way to start a Saturday and I can be home without feeling I lost a good chunk of the morning. It was a pretty normal workout.
Sunday - Ran 3 miles at a 9 minute pace. I ran at 7:30 AM. If I can run Sunday mornings before church, I think it will help my Sunday schedule significantly. I felt much stronger than last week and could maintain 9 minute miles without feeling like I was dying.
Good first week back into it!!
I read a very helpful book. It is not one of those how-to books with tips. Follow steps A - J and you will be a successful mom. It is simple and more of a bedrock foundation for parenting older kids. It is easy to implement every single day and it has helped me identify some of the reasons my anxiety was getting out of control. It did make a difference.
I am also seeing Dr. C in October in regards to hormonal imbalances. I probably should have done this years ago and kept putting it off. I did not think it was a big deal nor a huge problem. I was encouraged to do it. I have a consult and we will go from there. I may see a Naturopath as well but I was told to start with my own doctor. I do get the bad crazy hormone days but I have much better self control. I still hate them.
I did a little bit of exercise last week but this is the first week back into it. My goal is to run a half marathon in December. So here's what I did this week:
Monday (Labor Day) - We had a really nice family day. We went apple picking, went out the park in Keizer, shopping at Target and out to dinner. I took a long walk with Kara at the park. It was beautiful outside and a perfect way to end the summer.
Tuesday - Ran 4.14 miles with Tracy. I started at 5:25 AM and it was SO dark out. I have not run in the darkness in a long time. I thought it would be a struggle. I ran only three miles on Sunday and had a hard time. I felt out of breath and had to walk. This run was a lot better. We did go up some big hills, but I managed to maintain a 9:39 pace. I was slower on Sunday.
Wednesday - Swam 31 laps. It was great to be back in the pool again with friends. I worked on form and perfecting my stroke a bit better as well. We had a really good workout. This was my bad hormone day as I felt jittery, jumpy, anxious, and sweaty at times throughout day. I was in Target shopping and felt on the edge of panic. It is so hard to describe because it does not make a lot of sense. I had the day off from work and all the kids were in school--but I could not fully enjoy it because of what was going on in my body.
Thursday - Group Power. I woke up and felt significantly better. I increased my weight slightly from the week before and it was a very good workout. The day was much smoother because I did not feel nearly as jumpy or jittery. My brain could focus again.
Friday - Day Off. I did take Monday off but Friday will be my official day off so I wanted to stay on schedule.
Saturday - Group Ride. I like the 8 AM Ride classs. It is a good way to start a Saturday and I can be home without feeling I lost a good chunk of the morning. It was a pretty normal workout.
Sunday - Ran 3 miles at a 9 minute pace. I ran at 7:30 AM. If I can run Sunday mornings before church, I think it will help my Sunday schedule significantly. I felt much stronger than last week and could maintain 9 minute miles without feeling like I was dying.
Good first week back into it!!
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
I need a break
It has been a good week so far. I did about five miles with Tracy Monday morning. Aside from getting tangled in a blackberry bush that made the back of my right ankle all bloody--it was a great run. I felt pretty good for most of it. I had no knee, IT band, or glute issues. Yesterday I went to 5:30 PM Group ride. I don't think my bike was set up to my body size. I think I had to reach too far for the handlebars because my lower back and shoulders feel weird and sore today. It was still a good workout nonetheless.
I skipped swimming this morning. The early mornings in the summer are hard. The kids are not going to bed until 9--sometimes even later. Everyone is sleeping until at least 8. I can't function on a work schedule when I am not working. Plus I burned out in terms of training for things. I am craving rest right now and not pushing it as a runner/triathlete.
My plan for August is to exercise 3-4 times a week and do swimming, biking, or running. I am not going to do more than two (and most weeks just one) early morning. I am going to focus on the things I am not going to be able to do once school starts (like home organization, gardening, etc.) My plan once school starts is to start the 5-6 times a week and get back into Group Power for sure. Then come end of September I will see if training for a half marathon is possible. I feel really good about this. I really need just a break from pushing myself as well as putting extra of myself. It might constitute some of my anxiety. That could be related to other things as well. My anxiety has been better the last couple of days.
I skipped swimming this morning. The early mornings in the summer are hard. The kids are not going to bed until 9--sometimes even later. Everyone is sleeping until at least 8. I can't function on a work schedule when I am not working. Plus I burned out in terms of training for things. I am craving rest right now and not pushing it as a runner/triathlete.
My plan for August is to exercise 3-4 times a week and do swimming, biking, or running. I am not going to do more than two (and most weeks just one) early morning. I am going to focus on the things I am not going to be able to do once school starts (like home organization, gardening, etc.) My plan once school starts is to start the 5-6 times a week and get back into Group Power for sure. Then come end of September I will see if training for a half marathon is possible. I feel really good about this. I really need just a break from pushing myself as well as putting extra of myself. It might constitute some of my anxiety. That could be related to other things as well. My anxiety has been better the last couple of days.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
DeSchutes Dash and Long Range Goals
Last week Saturday I did Deschutes Dash and I finished in around 1 hour and 40 minutes. We decided to make a family weekend of it and stayed in Redmond. Karen offered to let me sleep on her couch in the cabin they rented. It would have been fine, but it was nice to have my whole family along. My swim wave did not start until 8:30 so we figured we didn't have to be there until 7:50 and we left Redmond by 7:30. I guess the rule of thumb is get there 1 hour before your wave because I almost did not get a spot for my bike. They were closing transition minutes after I was ready for the swim. When we got to the swim start (it was a bit of a walk) we only had a couple minutes until we actually started. We did play it a little too close.
The swim was COLD. I have never swam in water close to that temperature. Even with a wetsuit I was not ready for the intense cold. I started out and began to panic. I could not put my face in the water but I also am not very strong in breaststroke either. I also have a hard time swimming freestyle and breathing on the same side. I often get dizzy. I switched to backstroke and that was quite comfortable. Then I switched back to freestyle and switched back to backstroke again. I was trying not to panic. I could not see any kayaks. When I looked straight ahead the sun was very bright I could not see anything because of the glare. Once I got a good rhythm of freestyle, the swim was just about over. It was shallow enough that I could walk to the end of the swim. Karen was right ahead of me getting out of the water.
I ran to transition and starting to peel off my wetsuit while running. I forgot to unzip the ankles making it twice as hard to get off. It is intimidating when everyone is watching you in transition including my own kids. I could not get my helmet fitted right and someone said, "Your helmet is on backwards." I honestly think the shock and cold from the river jeopardized my thinking. Once I got all in my bike gear I was ready. Thankfully I clipped right into the pedals...no problems. I loved the course. It was a gradual incline for 6 miles and then turning around and going downhill. I got passed a few times, but I tried to keep a good pace going. I still struggle with drinking on the bike...I was little wobbly. Some of that might have been from being cold. My legs were numb the first couple miles on the bike. Karen was out of transition by the time I got back. She is a strong biker so I was not surprised.
I love the feeling of getting off the bike and getting ready for the run. Running is by far my strongest. This was run was hard though. It was all trail and pretty hilly at first. There were three big uphills and I walked up two. The course was also not clearly marked and I had anxiety about getting off course. I was really spent and depleted by the last mile. It reminded me of the Hagg Lake Triathlon where I had nothing left. The aid station was offering gu gel so I took one. I felt my energy bounce back quickly. There were a couple times there were no runners around me at all and that made it a bit lonely. Again I was second guessing myself I was off course. I passed Karen on the run course around the last mile. She only finished a few minutes behind me.
It was a great feeling finishing! I felt pretty good about my race and I loved having my family there the whole time. I don't think I drank enough or ate enough. I don't think I would have felt that depleted on the run had I not consumed more electrolytes and nutrients. I feel a lot more comfortable on the bike but I still think that needs to be my focus area if I do another triathlon.
We got home on Saturday and I rested most of Sunday. We had a church picnic and brought Hailey to camp. So it was somewhat of a busy day. We didn't do any major walking or hiking. On Monday I ran with Tracy and she was surprised I still wanted to run. I did not want to sleep in as I had quite a bit of work I had to do. We did about 4 and a half miles. I didn't feel too tired. I was able to keep up.
I took Tuesday off and slept later. I did go to swim on Wednesday. My goal was to push it a little more and I was able to do 1650 yards which is almost a mile and one of my longest swims yet. On Thursday I ran in the evening and pushed it again. I did a 6 mile run maintaining a little over 9 minute mile. I felt so strong and fast I felt like I could run forever.
On Friday afternoon I did a short six mile ride mostly off roading with Derek. We both got big Jamba Juices afterwards Derek is really interested in obstacle course racing right now. We looked into some local races he and I could do together. I was reading more about them on line in the afternoon. My stomach just started to feel nervous like and anxious. I was not sure if it was because I was overwhelmed by doing an obstacle course race or the Jamba Juice did not sit well (I have them all the time so that did not make sense). I was also reading a book about Ironman triathletes and their injuries and bike crashes. My stomach was like that off and on the rest of the night. My anxiety went up and that was almost worse than the stomach issues. I also started to get a sinus head ache and I felt fatigued. I started to feel irritable as well. Friday night I slept terrible. I skipped the gym on Saturday. I took it easy and did not do housework or garden work until late morning. My stomach felt better but my head still ached. I still felt overly anxious and irritable. Head ache cleared by the evening and again my appetite was normal. I slept bad again last night but I had caffeine at 7 PM. I felt pretty normal until the afternoon. We went to the park and I was playing frisbee with Rob. My sides ached like I could not catch my breath and my stomach felt off again. No head ache this time. Anxiety went back up after that. We have quite a few friends or who have or had sick kids this weekend. One of the girls in Hailey's cabin was sick. I think I caught a mild version of a stomach bug. I don't seem to be getting any worse, but it hasn't fully gone away either. We will see what this week brings. Hailey has felt fatigued all day and she says it from being at camp. I would not be surprised if she has a mild version of it too.
It is hard to know what to do after a triathlon. I am not going to do another one this season. I also don't want to do nothing. I am not very motivated unless I have some sort of goal or target. I think as of right now I am going to try to do Power (haven't been since May) once or twice a week, biking at least once a week, and running 2-3 times. I may hit Wednesday swim when I can but not every week. This will carry me through for the rest of the summer. I want to maintain a base but get back into Power especially if I do this obstacle course race with Derek. Once the end of September hits, I will ease off on the biking. I want to train for the Holiday Half Marathon again. Then I can focus on biking and swimming as we get closer to tri season. Ideally I would love to do a fall 2017 marathon for a charity. That's the big plan but it always seems to change.
I have had no IT band issues which I am forever grateful for. I need to be really good about stretching and taking care of myself. For now I just want my stomach to be back to normal.
The swim was COLD. I have never swam in water close to that temperature. Even with a wetsuit I was not ready for the intense cold. I started out and began to panic. I could not put my face in the water but I also am not very strong in breaststroke either. I also have a hard time swimming freestyle and breathing on the same side. I often get dizzy. I switched to backstroke and that was quite comfortable. Then I switched back to freestyle and switched back to backstroke again. I was trying not to panic. I could not see any kayaks. When I looked straight ahead the sun was very bright I could not see anything because of the glare. Once I got a good rhythm of freestyle, the swim was just about over. It was shallow enough that I could walk to the end of the swim. Karen was right ahead of me getting out of the water.
I ran to transition and starting to peel off my wetsuit while running. I forgot to unzip the ankles making it twice as hard to get off. It is intimidating when everyone is watching you in transition including my own kids. I could not get my helmet fitted right and someone said, "Your helmet is on backwards." I honestly think the shock and cold from the river jeopardized my thinking. Once I got all in my bike gear I was ready. Thankfully I clipped right into the pedals...no problems. I loved the course. It was a gradual incline for 6 miles and then turning around and going downhill. I got passed a few times, but I tried to keep a good pace going. I still struggle with drinking on the bike...I was little wobbly. Some of that might have been from being cold. My legs were numb the first couple miles on the bike. Karen was out of transition by the time I got back. She is a strong biker so I was not surprised.
I love the feeling of getting off the bike and getting ready for the run. Running is by far my strongest. This was run was hard though. It was all trail and pretty hilly at first. There were three big uphills and I walked up two. The course was also not clearly marked and I had anxiety about getting off course. I was really spent and depleted by the last mile. It reminded me of the Hagg Lake Triathlon where I had nothing left. The aid station was offering gu gel so I took one. I felt my energy bounce back quickly. There were a couple times there were no runners around me at all and that made it a bit lonely. Again I was second guessing myself I was off course. I passed Karen on the run course around the last mile. She only finished a few minutes behind me.
It was a great feeling finishing! I felt pretty good about my race and I loved having my family there the whole time. I don't think I drank enough or ate enough. I don't think I would have felt that depleted on the run had I not consumed more electrolytes and nutrients. I feel a lot more comfortable on the bike but I still think that needs to be my focus area if I do another triathlon.
We got home on Saturday and I rested most of Sunday. We had a church picnic and brought Hailey to camp. So it was somewhat of a busy day. We didn't do any major walking or hiking. On Monday I ran with Tracy and she was surprised I still wanted to run. I did not want to sleep in as I had quite a bit of work I had to do. We did about 4 and a half miles. I didn't feel too tired. I was able to keep up.
I took Tuesday off and slept later. I did go to swim on Wednesday. My goal was to push it a little more and I was able to do 1650 yards which is almost a mile and one of my longest swims yet. On Thursday I ran in the evening and pushed it again. I did a 6 mile run maintaining a little over 9 minute mile. I felt so strong and fast I felt like I could run forever.
On Friday afternoon I did a short six mile ride mostly off roading with Derek. We both got big Jamba Juices afterwards Derek is really interested in obstacle course racing right now. We looked into some local races he and I could do together. I was reading more about them on line in the afternoon. My stomach just started to feel nervous like and anxious. I was not sure if it was because I was overwhelmed by doing an obstacle course race or the Jamba Juice did not sit well (I have them all the time so that did not make sense). I was also reading a book about Ironman triathletes and their injuries and bike crashes. My stomach was like that off and on the rest of the night. My anxiety went up and that was almost worse than the stomach issues. I also started to get a sinus head ache and I felt fatigued. I started to feel irritable as well. Friday night I slept terrible. I skipped the gym on Saturday. I took it easy and did not do housework or garden work until late morning. My stomach felt better but my head still ached. I still felt overly anxious and irritable. Head ache cleared by the evening and again my appetite was normal. I slept bad again last night but I had caffeine at 7 PM. I felt pretty normal until the afternoon. We went to the park and I was playing frisbee with Rob. My sides ached like I could not catch my breath and my stomach felt off again. No head ache this time. Anxiety went back up after that. We have quite a few friends or who have or had sick kids this weekend. One of the girls in Hailey's cabin was sick. I think I caught a mild version of a stomach bug. I don't seem to be getting any worse, but it hasn't fully gone away either. We will see what this week brings. Hailey has felt fatigued all day and she says it from being at camp. I would not be surprised if she has a mild version of it too.
It is hard to know what to do after a triathlon. I am not going to do another one this season. I also don't want to do nothing. I am not very motivated unless I have some sort of goal or target. I think as of right now I am going to try to do Power (haven't been since May) once or twice a week, biking at least once a week, and running 2-3 times. I may hit Wednesday swim when I can but not every week. This will carry me through for the rest of the summer. I want to maintain a base but get back into Power especially if I do this obstacle course race with Derek. Once the end of September hits, I will ease off on the biking. I want to train for the Holiday Half Marathon again. Then I can focus on biking and swimming as we get closer to tri season. Ideally I would love to do a fall 2017 marathon for a charity. That's the big plan but it always seems to change.
I have had no IT band issues which I am forever grateful for. I need to be really good about stretching and taking care of myself. For now I just want my stomach to be back to normal.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Bullet Point Update
I have not been recording my workouts. Being at camp one full week, home two days and then all over the Midwest for eight days made it hard to have any kind of exercise routine. While in Michigan/Chicago I did a four mile run and a ten mile bike ride with my dad. Those were my only regular workouts but I did go swimming in the lake with the kids and hiking around the dunes. We have been back for a week now, but I still feel fatigued. My thoughts are all over the place so I will just put them in bullet points.
- I am doing the Deschutes Dash Sprint triathlon on Saturday. I did not get as much training is as I would have liked, but I know I can complete it. I am just going in with a good attitude and going to have fun. I am not trying to break any records.
- My friend asked me if I wanted to do an olympic distance tri in late August. Part of me wants to because this is the distance I originally wanted to do in the Deschutes Dash. The distance is not much further than what I do now in regular workouts. I would probably have the money for it. Part of me is sick of training and I don't want to commit to anything for a few months. I probably should make a decision soon.
- I did my first ride with the Salem Bicycle Club on Saturday. We did 13 miles in the Ankeny Refuge area on country roads. I was with all retirees and they were very sweet...and fun. They really made me feel super welcome. I had no trouble at all completing the ride and I biked in clips the whole time. I am hoping to do another ride with them soon.
- I ran with Tracy on Monday and I did a little over 5 miles. I feel my IT band acting up again. I think it started on vacation with all the walking and running in the sand...the uneven surfaces irritated it. I really hope I don't have to nurse a big injury again. I am trying to roll it regulary. It feels higher this time like almost in my glutes. Does not hurt at all when I bike.
- I did a casual ride with Hailey on Sunday and we did about six miles. I am really liking riding with the kids. Kara is off training wheels so it won't be long when we can all bike together.
- I have been seeking the Lord about my running and whether I should do a marathon in 2017. If so--which one and if I should run for a cause again. God has put Type 1 diabetes on my heart especially because my friend has two kids with Type 1--one who is friends with Hailey. Hailey also has two camp friends with Type 1. I've learned so much more about it. The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation has a couple of runs and rides, but I would have to take on a pretty hefty fundraising campaign. If my IT band continues to act up and make running miserable, I may have to switch to a ride.
- My moods have been terrible today. PMS stinks. I have had the fatigue, head aches, general crabbiness. I still think of seeing a natural doctor, but not sure it is totally necessary.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Last 2 weeks
After I swam with Erica now almost two weeks ago I did not do any exercise the rest of the week. We had our church weekend retreat at Camp Tadmor. I was active enough but did not get any runs or rides in. Rob left for Ukraine on Memorial Day.
I was not sure if I would be able to do anything while he was away. I am not comfortable leaving the kids yet while I go running. They are not old enough yet. They are always a little off anyway when Rob is gone. I had Tuesday afternoon off and I left Kara in after care. I biked to Turner and back following a route from the Salem Bicycle Club. It was an amazing ride and so incredibly beautiful off. The roads were not too busy and the rolling hills were perfect. I put in nineteen miles and made great time. I did bike in my clips because I was not sure how much start and stop I would have. I could do it in clips as there were very few intersections. I saw a couple other bikers as well. It really boosted my confidence when it comes to biking.
I had planned on swimming Wednesday and my friend was going to come and watch my kids. She texted a half hour before she was supposed to arrive saying she was very sick. Turned out she had pretty severe bronchitis and could not sub for me the following week either. By about Thursday I hit "survival mode" and doing the bare minimum while Rob is away. I could not get any exercising in at all. I worked in the garden a lot and played with the kids. We went swimming at Turner pool on that Saturday. It is very difficult for me to completely give up running while Rob is away. Rob made the point that come fall I could probably leave the kids for a half hour. If my work schedule stays the way it is--I will have some days or afternoons off.
Rob came home late afternoon on Monday. It is always a rough transition when he comes home and I can never put my finger on why. My anxiety is always high when he's away but I suppress it so I can get by without overreacting to things. It explodes when he comes home. Monday & Tuesday were not easy. We really had to sit down and talk openly and deeply about things, but we made so much progress. I was able to put my finger on some of the things triggering my anxiety. I was able to run about four miles with Tracy Tuesday morning. I had not run in awhile and I could feel it. I could maintain my normal pace. It felt really good to get out and run. I skipped swimming on Wednesday because I was overly anxious Tuesday night. Rob & I had to work through that. I slept terrible both Monday & Tuesday night even having some bouts of insomnia. By Wednesday night I was feeling pretty normal again. I played hockey and had a great time. I'm enjoying hockey more than I did in the spring. I'm getting a little bit better at it. Hailey plays the whole time now so it is a good way to spend time with her.
Thursday was a crazy run around day. I worked from 7 to 4. Then I had to bring Derek to a birthday party downtown, drive to the gym back on our side of town, drive back to downtown to pick up Derek, go to the library, and then pick up dinner for Rob & I. I was not home until after 8. I was late to Group Ride at the gym because of traffic but I got most of the workout in. There were plenty of bikes open so I didn't have to fight for a bike.
Friday I had planned on swimming in the afternoon but then realized the pool is closed for swim lessons on Friday afternoons. I was going to run but I had this short time window between work and leaving to go to Portland with friends. I knew I was going to be gone all night so I wanted to spend time with the kids. People often asked me how I could train for marathons when I had baby and toddlers. In some ways the timing is easier. They nap for hours in the afternoon or go to bed early. Sometimes they wake up later. I would do long runs on Saturdays and Sundays during their afternoon naps. I would put them down and go run leaving Rob with them of course. By the time I got done with my run they were waking up. It was the same with bedtime. I would put them to bed at 7:00 and then get ten miles in. Now they are older and we take advantage of the afternoons they are home and they can stay up until 9 at night. The advantage is I can get up earlier since I am sleeping through the night. After Rob being away and getting off schedule, my anxiety high etc. early mornings were next to impossible.
I had planned on going to a ride with the Salem Bicycle Club on Saturday but I did get home until 1:30 am early Saturday morning. I woke up with a head ache and severe female issues. I felt overall yuck. I knew I was not that sick because I had somewhat of an appetite. I took it easy all morning and early afternoon. By late afternoon I felt normal and only a slight head ache.
Rob is still jet lagged at night. He gets really fatigued starting around 9:30 PM. I need to transition to going to bed earlier and getting back to earlier mornings this week. It is my last week of work and a pretty normal work week for Rob too. I did sign up for the Deschutes Dash but chose the sprint tri so I am in. I need to exercise more the next four weeks. The problem is we are gone quite so bit so I have to at least run while we are away. I am not good about doing that while we are on vacation. I know I have a good base load of exercise. If I had to do the sprint tomorrow I could. But I need to be a little more consistent.
After the triathlon I am going to maintain a base of swim, bike, running. And then possibly transition into more running and less biking/swimming in the fall. If I can avoid major IT band issues, I may consider a 1/2 marathon in late 2016. It is hard to plan beyond the summer. As of right now I am back to working less hours again in the fall similar to what I working last fall. But I am also taking a couple of classes. I usually get client inquiries in the summer...so it is hard to know what the fall will look like. I just want to enjoy the time off before start planning.
I was not sure if I would be able to do anything while he was away. I am not comfortable leaving the kids yet while I go running. They are not old enough yet. They are always a little off anyway when Rob is gone. I had Tuesday afternoon off and I left Kara in after care. I biked to Turner and back following a route from the Salem Bicycle Club. It was an amazing ride and so incredibly beautiful off. The roads were not too busy and the rolling hills were perfect. I put in nineteen miles and made great time. I did bike in my clips because I was not sure how much start and stop I would have. I could do it in clips as there were very few intersections. I saw a couple other bikers as well. It really boosted my confidence when it comes to biking.
I had planned on swimming Wednesday and my friend was going to come and watch my kids. She texted a half hour before she was supposed to arrive saying she was very sick. Turned out she had pretty severe bronchitis and could not sub for me the following week either. By about Thursday I hit "survival mode" and doing the bare minimum while Rob is away. I could not get any exercising in at all. I worked in the garden a lot and played with the kids. We went swimming at Turner pool on that Saturday. It is very difficult for me to completely give up running while Rob is away. Rob made the point that come fall I could probably leave the kids for a half hour. If my work schedule stays the way it is--I will have some days or afternoons off.
Rob came home late afternoon on Monday. It is always a rough transition when he comes home and I can never put my finger on why. My anxiety is always high when he's away but I suppress it so I can get by without overreacting to things. It explodes when he comes home. Monday & Tuesday were not easy. We really had to sit down and talk openly and deeply about things, but we made so much progress. I was able to put my finger on some of the things triggering my anxiety. I was able to run about four miles with Tracy Tuesday morning. I had not run in awhile and I could feel it. I could maintain my normal pace. It felt really good to get out and run. I skipped swimming on Wednesday because I was overly anxious Tuesday night. Rob & I had to work through that. I slept terrible both Monday & Tuesday night even having some bouts of insomnia. By Wednesday night I was feeling pretty normal again. I played hockey and had a great time. I'm enjoying hockey more than I did in the spring. I'm getting a little bit better at it. Hailey plays the whole time now so it is a good way to spend time with her.
Thursday was a crazy run around day. I worked from 7 to 4. Then I had to bring Derek to a birthday party downtown, drive to the gym back on our side of town, drive back to downtown to pick up Derek, go to the library, and then pick up dinner for Rob & I. I was not home until after 8. I was late to Group Ride at the gym because of traffic but I got most of the workout in. There were plenty of bikes open so I didn't have to fight for a bike.
Friday I had planned on swimming in the afternoon but then realized the pool is closed for swim lessons on Friday afternoons. I was going to run but I had this short time window between work and leaving to go to Portland with friends. I knew I was going to be gone all night so I wanted to spend time with the kids. People often asked me how I could train for marathons when I had baby and toddlers. In some ways the timing is easier. They nap for hours in the afternoon or go to bed early. Sometimes they wake up later. I would do long runs on Saturdays and Sundays during their afternoon naps. I would put them down and go run leaving Rob with them of course. By the time I got done with my run they were waking up. It was the same with bedtime. I would put them to bed at 7:00 and then get ten miles in. Now they are older and we take advantage of the afternoons they are home and they can stay up until 9 at night. The advantage is I can get up earlier since I am sleeping through the night. After Rob being away and getting off schedule, my anxiety high etc. early mornings were next to impossible.
I had planned on going to a ride with the Salem Bicycle Club on Saturday but I did get home until 1:30 am early Saturday morning. I woke up with a head ache and severe female issues. I felt overall yuck. I knew I was not that sick because I had somewhat of an appetite. I took it easy all morning and early afternoon. By late afternoon I felt normal and only a slight head ache.
Rob is still jet lagged at night. He gets really fatigued starting around 9:30 PM. I need to transition to going to bed earlier and getting back to earlier mornings this week. It is my last week of work and a pretty normal work week for Rob too. I did sign up for the Deschutes Dash but chose the sprint tri so I am in. I need to exercise more the next four weeks. The problem is we are gone quite so bit so I have to at least run while we are away. I am not good about doing that while we are on vacation. I know I have a good base load of exercise. If I had to do the sprint tomorrow I could. But I need to be a little more consistent.
After the triathlon I am going to maintain a base of swim, bike, running. And then possibly transition into more running and less biking/swimming in the fall. If I can avoid major IT band issues, I may consider a 1/2 marathon in late 2016. It is hard to plan beyond the summer. As of right now I am back to working less hours again in the fall similar to what I working last fall. But I am also taking a couple of classes. I usually get client inquiries in the summer...so it is hard to know what the fall will look like. I just want to enjoy the time off before start planning.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Chicago and back again
So last week was a very full week. I did run with Tracy Monday morning and it was a decent run. On Monday night I had to write two articles for the Banner and I did not get done until after 9 PM. I managed to get to Power Tuesday morning and I think I pulled something in my back or neck because it hasn't been the same since. And I have had to take Tylenol because of it which I rarely have to do. Anyway I had counseling Tuesday night and then shopping for the last ETM meeting. I did not get home until after 8. Wednesday I did make it to swim and had a great workout. It was long busy day ending with our last ETM that night. I decided to take Thursday off. I was not sure if I would be able to do anything the rest of the week. I left for Chicago early Friday morning (I had to get up at 2:30 AM) and had to catch the bus at 3:30 and my plane left at 6:30. It was a super early morning but I slept the first half of the flight.
Our time in Chicago was wonderful and a big celebration for my dad. Good quality family time. We did quite a bit of walking on Saturday and helping my parents move boxes in the evening. That was a workout. I was crawling around on my knees in the crawl space pushing boxes--this might have been when I strained my shoulder/neck.
I got home late Sunday night at 12:30 PM but had to be up by 6:30 for work. I managed to stay on Pacific time while in Chicago. I went to bed at 12:30 AM and slept until 8:30 AM which is 10:30 to 6:30 Pacific. The travel and fatigue caught up to me and I was pretty tired Monday night and most of Tuesday. I decided to wait until today to get back into the exercise routine. I swam with Erica this morning. Tracy broke her radius biking last weekend...I hate hearing these biking stories because it only adds to my cycling anxiety.
Next week will be a little off with Rob in Ukraine but I can get a couple decent workouts in. I think I am going to the sprint tri instead of the Olympic. With Rob in Ukraine and both camp and the Michigan trip in June--my training cannot be consistent. That is OK. I am perfectly OK with that.
My neck still hurts. Rob massaged some of the kinks out of it last night but it feels all tight again this morning. I am not nearly as tired and I have very little in the evenings now that youth group & Bible Study are over. It's just work and end of the year school stuff from here on out.
Our time in Chicago was wonderful and a big celebration for my dad. Good quality family time. We did quite a bit of walking on Saturday and helping my parents move boxes in the evening. That was a workout. I was crawling around on my knees in the crawl space pushing boxes--this might have been when I strained my shoulder/neck.
I got home late Sunday night at 12:30 PM but had to be up by 6:30 for work. I managed to stay on Pacific time while in Chicago. I went to bed at 12:30 AM and slept until 8:30 AM which is 10:30 to 6:30 Pacific. The travel and fatigue caught up to me and I was pretty tired Monday night and most of Tuesday. I decided to wait until today to get back into the exercise routine. I swam with Erica this morning. Tracy broke her radius biking last weekend...I hate hearing these biking stories because it only adds to my cycling anxiety.
Next week will be a little off with Rob in Ukraine but I can get a couple decent workouts in. I think I am going to the sprint tri instead of the Olympic. With Rob in Ukraine and both camp and the Michigan trip in June--my training cannot be consistent. That is OK. I am perfectly OK with that.
My neck still hurts. Rob massaged some of the kinks out of it last night but it feels all tight again this morning. I am not nearly as tired and I have very little in the evenings now that youth group & Bible Study are over. It's just work and end of the year school stuff from here on out.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Halfway through May
It has been a good month of May so far and we're pushing hard to make it to the end of the school year!
The first week of May was really good exercise week. On that Monday I went to Ride because I knew I would not be able to go Friday as I had to bring Hailey to school at 6 AM for the Spring Olympics. It was nice to start out my week going to Ride. I did Power on Tuesday and swim on Wednesday. Thursday was a day off. I ran Friday afternoon and it was super hot out. I really struggled on the hills. I ran Saturday morning before the kids ran the Awesome 3000. I did about 6 miles and that was a much better run. The cooler temperatures in the morning make all the difference. On Sunday which was Mother's Day I biked about fifteen miles mostly at Minto Brown. I am still self conscious that I bike alone. I really wish I could bike with my triathlon friends. The biggest problem I am running into is their bike expeditions take up like half a Saturday. They start at 8 AM and aren't home until noon. I rarely have that kind of time. Plus Saturday is my time with the kids since I work during the week...so I don't want to devote that kind of time to being away from them.
Last week Monday I ran with Tracy and we had a really good run. I went longer than normal...five and a half miles versus the normal four. Thankfully I was ready before the first day care kids get here...sometimes they are really early. On Tuesday I went out to Hagg Lake and did my first 750 meter swim. It is probably the only one I can do in the swim series. The drive is beautiful...I love going out there. I love Hagg Lake. I have a special place in my heart for that area after doing the Hagg Lake Triathlon in 2014--my first tri (and only so far) in the open water and first tri biking in clips. There were 34 swimmers and I was #33 out of the water. I really didn't care. My goal was just to finish and some of the swimmers were elite triathletes. I did not have to float on my back at all for relief and I just kept swimming. It was pretty cold, but once I got going I felt fine. The side of my face and ears were a little cold at the end and I got a headache...though that head ache could have been due to PMS which made the rest of the week a total bust.
I had planned on taking Wednesday and possibly Thursday off. But it turned into the whole rest of the week. Not my intention. I felt moody, stomach cramps, head aches Thursday night all the way to Sunday evening. It was all due to PMS. It made the anxiety bad. I had a hard time focusing and simple tasks stressed me out. I had a minor panic attack in the mall but I was able to control it. I took Kara to see a play which was super fun but I was really jumpy. I had weird dreams (probably because I was not sleeping well). The worst of it was fatigue. I felt constantly tired even though I was not getting up early to exercise, going to bed on time, and resting more than normal. I hated feeling so tired. Going downtown as a family Friday night and playing the Wii together Saturday night were good distractions. I was trying to pull weeds Thursday and I just felt like laying on the ground I was so tired. Well that's over. I woke up this morning and felt normal again. I have a long to do list before I leave for Chicago but it's not stressing me out whereas last week I'd be crying.
I ran with Tracy this morning and we did four miles and it was a great run. We both said we were tired and I felt like I was getting over fatigue but we managed to get 9 minute miles and even a little under that.
The first week of May was really good exercise week. On that Monday I went to Ride because I knew I would not be able to go Friday as I had to bring Hailey to school at 6 AM for the Spring Olympics. It was nice to start out my week going to Ride. I did Power on Tuesday and swim on Wednesday. Thursday was a day off. I ran Friday afternoon and it was super hot out. I really struggled on the hills. I ran Saturday morning before the kids ran the Awesome 3000. I did about 6 miles and that was a much better run. The cooler temperatures in the morning make all the difference. On Sunday which was Mother's Day I biked about fifteen miles mostly at Minto Brown. I am still self conscious that I bike alone. I really wish I could bike with my triathlon friends. The biggest problem I am running into is their bike expeditions take up like half a Saturday. They start at 8 AM and aren't home until noon. I rarely have that kind of time. Plus Saturday is my time with the kids since I work during the week...so I don't want to devote that kind of time to being away from them.
Last week Monday I ran with Tracy and we had a really good run. I went longer than normal...five and a half miles versus the normal four. Thankfully I was ready before the first day care kids get here...sometimes they are really early. On Tuesday I went out to Hagg Lake and did my first 750 meter swim. It is probably the only one I can do in the swim series. The drive is beautiful...I love going out there. I love Hagg Lake. I have a special place in my heart for that area after doing the Hagg Lake Triathlon in 2014--my first tri (and only so far) in the open water and first tri biking in clips. There were 34 swimmers and I was #33 out of the water. I really didn't care. My goal was just to finish and some of the swimmers were elite triathletes. I did not have to float on my back at all for relief and I just kept swimming. It was pretty cold, but once I got going I felt fine. The side of my face and ears were a little cold at the end and I got a headache...though that head ache could have been due to PMS which made the rest of the week a total bust.
I had planned on taking Wednesday and possibly Thursday off. But it turned into the whole rest of the week. Not my intention. I felt moody, stomach cramps, head aches Thursday night all the way to Sunday evening. It was all due to PMS. It made the anxiety bad. I had a hard time focusing and simple tasks stressed me out. I had a minor panic attack in the mall but I was able to control it. I took Kara to see a play which was super fun but I was really jumpy. I had weird dreams (probably because I was not sleeping well). The worst of it was fatigue. I felt constantly tired even though I was not getting up early to exercise, going to bed on time, and resting more than normal. I hated feeling so tired. Going downtown as a family Friday night and playing the Wii together Saturday night were good distractions. I was trying to pull weeds Thursday and I just felt like laying on the ground I was so tired. Well that's over. I woke up this morning and felt normal again. I have a long to do list before I leave for Chicago but it's not stressing me out whereas last week I'd be crying.
I ran with Tracy this morning and we did four miles and it was a great run. We both said we were tired and I felt like I was getting over fatigue but we managed to get 9 minute miles and even a little under that.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Taking care of myself and training for Deschutes
Today is one those "off" days on Planet Daycare when no one wants to nap when they are supposed to and everyone is not acting their normal selves. There is no rhyme or reason to the schedule. I am grateful my moods are not off today and hormonal levels normal so I can handle it. April is a hard month with zero time off.
I have done pretty good with keeping up with exercising despite everything. I am pretty behind on logging it here. The week of April 10th--I can't remember but I think I went to Ride on that Monday, Power on Tuesday, swim on Wednesday, off on Thursday, ran Friday late afternoon, and did an awesome 22 mile ride along River Road and back on Saturday, and then a short 3 1/2 mile run Sunday evening. Last week was different as I did only one early morning, but I managed to get five workouts in. On Monday last week I had planned to go to Ride but was super tired from the weekend so I took the day off from exercise. I ran Tuesday late afternoon instead of going to Power. I did get to swim on Wednesday. I wanted to go to Power on Thursday but skipped out. Wednesday was a very long and somewhat stressful day. On Friday afternoon I rode the indoor bike. My bike is currently in the bike shop getting a tune up and some other work done. Saturday morning I went to Group Ride. On Sunday I ran a little over five miles and it was terrible. I felt fatigued all over and I could not breathe. I was overdressed and the humidity was high in the air--my body is not used to it. I pushed myself to get five miles in and it was tough. I redeemed myself with a better run Monday morning with Tracy. I got 4 miles in. On Tuesday I went to Power with her. Yesterday we swam. Today was a day off.
I am figuring on doing Deschutes Dash in July though I have not signed up yet. I want to bike this weekend but he's not done with my bike yet. So it might be indoor cycling again.
I have taken better care of myself. I started counting calories again this week and laying off the junk. I made myself a chart to try and do the following each day 1) very short yoga session with foam rolling and stretching--15 or so minutes 2) work on Bible Study 3) daily cleaning jobs based on a schedule I made years ago and don't always stick to 4) read for fun 5) play guitar This on top of a weekly to do list which has tasks based on my job/church/Banner/whatever else. I am not being perfectionist about it. On Monday I only hit one of the five, but yesterday I made four. Guitar is somewhat on hold right now, but my intention is to pick it back up again soon. I have too much going on right now. All in all I feel like I am taking better care of me. I think sometimes we think taking care of ourselves is spa days, buying things, and getting away from our kids. That has its place and we do need that. I am referring to the day to day things--eating good, spending time doing hobbies, keeping the house in a state where it does create anxiety. Stretching and yoga is good to maintain my stress level and also help with my IT band issues. My right ankle and now right knee hurt from time to time and it might all be related to the IT band.
I have found one of my biggest issues is simply getting started. I stall, do something unrelated, or give myself permission NOT to do something I should be doing. This happens when I sit down to work on my Bible Study, write an article, even read a book, go running with the kids. I think it's just a fear that it won't go well, it will not be enjoyable, I won't be able to focus, or that I just don't want to put forth the effort. Once I start going I get into it and I feel great. I have been making myself really aware of this and it helps tackle it. I had this with running and later swimming and still biking for many many years and I don't anymore with running and not much with swimming. I don't fear running except the super long runs with marathon training...but even so I never skip them. It helps tremendously just being aware of this. I can live my life a little more intentional. I see this in some of my kids too--their anxiety about starting something. It is easier to gravitate towards something that is easier. I want them to conquer the challenges even if it means they fail. I remember talking to my teacher my Indonesia back in February and I told him one thing I learned in Indonesia that it is OK to fail if you tried and gave it your best effort. Whenever you start something for the first time, it is going to be rough. My first run was painful. My first time swimming Wednesday mornings was embarrassing. My first open water swim was even more embarrassing. My first time biking in clips on the road was scary. My first article I wrote for the Banner was bad...thankfully I had a good proof reader that helped me turn it into a good article. My first year of child care was exhausting and I could barely handle two kids. I am giving myself grace and acceptance yet challenging myself at the same time.
I have done pretty good with keeping up with exercising despite everything. I am pretty behind on logging it here. The week of April 10th--I can't remember but I think I went to Ride on that Monday, Power on Tuesday, swim on Wednesday, off on Thursday, ran Friday late afternoon, and did an awesome 22 mile ride along River Road and back on Saturday, and then a short 3 1/2 mile run Sunday evening. Last week was different as I did only one early morning, but I managed to get five workouts in. On Monday last week I had planned to go to Ride but was super tired from the weekend so I took the day off from exercise. I ran Tuesday late afternoon instead of going to Power. I did get to swim on Wednesday. I wanted to go to Power on Thursday but skipped out. Wednesday was a very long and somewhat stressful day. On Friday afternoon I rode the indoor bike. My bike is currently in the bike shop getting a tune up and some other work done. Saturday morning I went to Group Ride. On Sunday I ran a little over five miles and it was terrible. I felt fatigued all over and I could not breathe. I was overdressed and the humidity was high in the air--my body is not used to it. I pushed myself to get five miles in and it was tough. I redeemed myself with a better run Monday morning with Tracy. I got 4 miles in. On Tuesday I went to Power with her. Yesterday we swam. Today was a day off.
I am figuring on doing Deschutes Dash in July though I have not signed up yet. I want to bike this weekend but he's not done with my bike yet. So it might be indoor cycling again.
I have taken better care of myself. I started counting calories again this week and laying off the junk. I made myself a chart to try and do the following each day 1) very short yoga session with foam rolling and stretching--15 or so minutes 2) work on Bible Study 3) daily cleaning jobs based on a schedule I made years ago and don't always stick to 4) read for fun 5) play guitar This on top of a weekly to do list which has tasks based on my job/church/Banner/whatever else. I am not being perfectionist about it. On Monday I only hit one of the five, but yesterday I made four. Guitar is somewhat on hold right now, but my intention is to pick it back up again soon. I have too much going on right now. All in all I feel like I am taking better care of me. I think sometimes we think taking care of ourselves is spa days, buying things, and getting away from our kids. That has its place and we do need that. I am referring to the day to day things--eating good, spending time doing hobbies, keeping the house in a state where it does create anxiety. Stretching and yoga is good to maintain my stress level and also help with my IT band issues. My right ankle and now right knee hurt from time to time and it might all be related to the IT band.
I have found one of my biggest issues is simply getting started. I stall, do something unrelated, or give myself permission NOT to do something I should be doing. This happens when I sit down to work on my Bible Study, write an article, even read a book, go running with the kids. I think it's just a fear that it won't go well, it will not be enjoyable, I won't be able to focus, or that I just don't want to put forth the effort. Once I start going I get into it and I feel great. I have been making myself really aware of this and it helps tackle it. I had this with running and later swimming and still biking for many many years and I don't anymore with running and not much with swimming. I don't fear running except the super long runs with marathon training...but even so I never skip them. It helps tremendously just being aware of this. I can live my life a little more intentional. I see this in some of my kids too--their anxiety about starting something. It is easier to gravitate towards something that is easier. I want them to conquer the challenges even if it means they fail. I remember talking to my teacher my Indonesia back in February and I told him one thing I learned in Indonesia that it is OK to fail if you tried and gave it your best effort. Whenever you start something for the first time, it is going to be rough. My first run was painful. My first time swimming Wednesday mornings was embarrassing. My first open water swim was even more embarrassing. My first time biking in clips on the road was scary. My first article I wrote for the Banner was bad...thankfully I had a good proof reader that helped me turn it into a good article. My first year of child care was exhausting and I could barely handle two kids. I am giving myself grace and acceptance yet challenging myself at the same time.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Beaver Freezer and back to training
I have not updated in awhile and also have not blogged about Beaver Freezer. First last week...
I swam Wednesday morning and it was a normal workout. I felt faster and ready for Freezer. On Thursday I rested and slept until 6:30. On Friday I hoped to go to Ride but coming home from Bible Study at 9...and just feeling drained and tired--I could not do it. I figured the extra race before Freezer was not a bad thing. We had leftover enchiladas for dinner and watched The Amazing Race. I had a Diet Mountain Dew with dinner (around 8 PM) which was a mistake...I realized that later. Rob & I watched 20/20 around 10 and I fell asleep during it. I didn't have to get up too early for Freezer...just after 6 AM. Which is actually later than I get up for Power, Swim & Ride--honestly it felt a little like sleeping in!
Then I finally went to bed after 20/20 was over...around 11...I was not tired. Then Rob & I got in this conversation about my work schedule (which is pretty intense right now and the most hours I have ever done) and the demands of my business on top of everything else. The conversation really turned on all the anxiety that was already there about the race. Then I really couldn't sleep. It took A LONG time before I fell asleep. I stopped looking at the clock. I am guessing close to 2 AM. Rob putting on a second Seinfeld episode finally lulled me to sleep. I woke up at 5:30 and slept another half hour until I really got up.
I wasn't overly nervous for Freezer. I had done it before. I had trained really well. The biking still makes me anxious a bit, but it was only 12 miles and only one big hill. The weather was supposed to be warm and sunny and that would help a lot. I met my friend at the carpool lot at 7 AM and we made it to OSU on time. We were in back to back swim waves. I swam at 9:50 AM. I was overly confident going into the swim. I timed myself a few weeks back and I was around 11 minutes. Looking back I am not sure how accurate that is. The swim timer clock was broken so I was using the actual wall clock...I could have been a few minutes off. So I was in a wave with 10-11 minute swimmers. Going into the pool, I struggled at first. My anxiety was high, I kept bumping into the side rope, and I got passed twice. I was the last one out in my wave. The volunteer never told me I had one more lap--I had to pop my head out and ask. I think the timing was off as well. My swim time was 14 minutes which I think is slow--but I am guessing it was 13 something. I am actually going to time myself again soon and see where I'm at.
Going into T1, I was way more confident. My transition time was much better. Although I couldn't find my bike at first, I got right on quickly. I felt more confident on my bike. I got clipped in immediately, drank Gatorade on the bike without dropping my water bottle...or worse falling. I went at a good steady pace.
T2 I did better as well. The running is never that difficult for me. My time is always about 2 minutes slower than my normal 5K time which was the case here. I ran the whole way--just walked through the aid station. I tried to keep a good steady pace. I was tired--but not dying.
My final time was 2 seconds slower than the last time I did it...which was a little disappointing. But triathlon is still new to me--I haven't done as many of them as I have running races. I am still an amateur swimmer and nervous bike rider. I have improved so much in the last couple of years. I had fun and enjoyed being outside. I am not sure the swim time was accurate as it was listed.
I rested on Sunday but jumped right back into it on Monday. I did about 4 miles Monday morning with Tracy. On Tuesday I went to Power. We are regular swim on Wednesday and I really focused more on speed and pushing myself--I think I was faster than normal. Thursday I rested. Friday morning I made to Group Ride. I was quite tired and did not push myself on every single track but was thankful I made it. I have a history of intending to go on Fridays and choosing to sleep instead. Yesterday I ran 6 miles with Tracy in the morning and did lots of gardening. This afternoon I only biked a little over 9 miles on the Keizer bike path. I would have liked to bike more than that but it was so much stop & start. The bike path is only 3 1/2 miles long...hardly enough to get a decent ride in. The stop and start was good practice for me in terms of clipping in & out. I did really well. It was not worth it to drive all the way out there when the River Road/Independence route and Minto Brown is so much closer. I really need to find some riding friends. I may try the Salem Bicycle Club next month. I really wish there were bike path options and less fighting traffic, but maybe I can find some long country roads to ride with others on. I am probably going to do the Deschutes Dash in July but not sure if I will do the sprint distance or olympic.
I swam Wednesday morning and it was a normal workout. I felt faster and ready for Freezer. On Thursday I rested and slept until 6:30. On Friday I hoped to go to Ride but coming home from Bible Study at 9...and just feeling drained and tired--I could not do it. I figured the extra race before Freezer was not a bad thing. We had leftover enchiladas for dinner and watched The Amazing Race. I had a Diet Mountain Dew with dinner (around 8 PM) which was a mistake...I realized that later. Rob & I watched 20/20 around 10 and I fell asleep during it. I didn't have to get up too early for Freezer...just after 6 AM. Which is actually later than I get up for Power, Swim & Ride--honestly it felt a little like sleeping in!
Then I finally went to bed after 20/20 was over...around 11...I was not tired. Then Rob & I got in this conversation about my work schedule (which is pretty intense right now and the most hours I have ever done) and the demands of my business on top of everything else. The conversation really turned on all the anxiety that was already there about the race. Then I really couldn't sleep. It took A LONG time before I fell asleep. I stopped looking at the clock. I am guessing close to 2 AM. Rob putting on a second Seinfeld episode finally lulled me to sleep. I woke up at 5:30 and slept another half hour until I really got up.
I wasn't overly nervous for Freezer. I had done it before. I had trained really well. The biking still makes me anxious a bit, but it was only 12 miles and only one big hill. The weather was supposed to be warm and sunny and that would help a lot. I met my friend at the carpool lot at 7 AM and we made it to OSU on time. We were in back to back swim waves. I swam at 9:50 AM. I was overly confident going into the swim. I timed myself a few weeks back and I was around 11 minutes. Looking back I am not sure how accurate that is. The swim timer clock was broken so I was using the actual wall clock...I could have been a few minutes off. So I was in a wave with 10-11 minute swimmers. Going into the pool, I struggled at first. My anxiety was high, I kept bumping into the side rope, and I got passed twice. I was the last one out in my wave. The volunteer never told me I had one more lap--I had to pop my head out and ask. I think the timing was off as well. My swim time was 14 minutes which I think is slow--but I am guessing it was 13 something. I am actually going to time myself again soon and see where I'm at.
Going into T1, I was way more confident. My transition time was much better. Although I couldn't find my bike at first, I got right on quickly. I felt more confident on my bike. I got clipped in immediately, drank Gatorade on the bike without dropping my water bottle...or worse falling. I went at a good steady pace.
T2 I did better as well. The running is never that difficult for me. My time is always about 2 minutes slower than my normal 5K time which was the case here. I ran the whole way--just walked through the aid station. I tried to keep a good steady pace. I was tired--but not dying.
My final time was 2 seconds slower than the last time I did it...which was a little disappointing. But triathlon is still new to me--I haven't done as many of them as I have running races. I am still an amateur swimmer and nervous bike rider. I have improved so much in the last couple of years. I had fun and enjoyed being outside. I am not sure the swim time was accurate as it was listed.
I rested on Sunday but jumped right back into it on Monday. I did about 4 miles Monday morning with Tracy. On Tuesday I went to Power. We are regular swim on Wednesday and I really focused more on speed and pushing myself--I think I was faster than normal. Thursday I rested. Friday morning I made to Group Ride. I was quite tired and did not push myself on every single track but was thankful I made it. I have a history of intending to go on Fridays and choosing to sleep instead. Yesterday I ran 6 miles with Tracy in the morning and did lots of gardening. This afternoon I only biked a little over 9 miles on the Keizer bike path. I would have liked to bike more than that but it was so much stop & start. The bike path is only 3 1/2 miles long...hardly enough to get a decent ride in. The stop and start was good practice for me in terms of clipping in & out. I did really well. It was not worth it to drive all the way out there when the River Road/Independence route and Minto Brown is so much closer. I really need to find some riding friends. I may try the Salem Bicycle Club next month. I really wish there were bike path options and less fighting traffic, but maybe I can find some long country roads to ride with others on. I am probably going to do the Deschutes Dash in July but not sure if I will do the sprint distance or olympic.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Back to the routine...good-bye Spring Break
So Spring Break is officially over and we are back at school/work. We're hitting the last quarter of the school year where there are so few breaks and time off. It is going to be a mental push to get to June.
Last week Wednesday I went hiking at Silver Falls. Derek and I did about three miles. It is a nice little hike and very scenic. We both LOVE hiking. We both crave the outdoors. It won't be our last hike...that's for sure. I did not do any kind of workout. After coming home we did family stuff the rest of the afternoon into the evening. On Thursday afternoon I went to Group Ride. Even though I like the morning instructors significantly more, it was better than the last time I went. I got in a very good workout. On Friday I had to work (which I was probably too grouchy about) and I could have easily gone to the gym or at least gone running because I did not have to work until 9:30 AM. I slept until 8:45 PM. I had not gone to bed very late the night before. I slept too much and felt overtired and lethargic all day. It kind of stunk. The weather was not the greatest either. Everyone was crabby. Normally I love Holy Week and the Good Friday service, but I felt so overly distracted, frustrated, tired. Rob made the point that maybe that is the way we need to approach the cross and that Jesus brings us strength. Easter doesn't always have to be this big hoopla celebration. Saturday was a little better. I had to get up at 6 AM and do an interview for the Banner and I went swimming afterwards. I took the kids to Easter egg hunts and we went shopping. The evening was kind of rough and behavior issues somewhat spoiled it.
I had a great 4 mile run Easter morning and I listened to my favorite Christian songs/hymns while I ran. The rain held off. It was great to be outside. The behavior issues we had with some of the kids Saturday night carried over into Sunday morning. I spent a good part of Sunday morning before church anxious, upset, and frustrated. Normally I don't mind doing nursery at church (and I really don't do it very often) but it was so chaotic with all the extra kids. It just added to the exhaustion. I felt drained the whole rest of the day.
Yesterday I had hoped to go the gym. The kids did not have school but I had to work all day starting at 7 AM. I just couldn't get up and allowed myself to sleep until 6:30 AM. It was a full busy day, but better than Friday. The nice weather helped. My own kids did significantly better. We had one small incident in the morning but it got better from there. I did get to run in the afternoon and did about three and a half miles. The pace was better and more evened out--did not start out too fast.
This morning I went to Power and it was a normal Group Power workout. I am doing the Beaver Freezer on Saturday so I am not trying to push myself significantly. I am still looking at another triathlon later in the morning but not set on one yet.
I have been a little more anxious than normal lately and irritable. I really hate being this way and I think some of it is due to hormones. For some reason my anxiety is always higher in the spring. Even though it's a great time of year--for some reason my brain overreacts to everything. I have had to be intentional about not overreacting or complaining the last few days and it takes a lot of energy.
Last week Wednesday I went hiking at Silver Falls. Derek and I did about three miles. It is a nice little hike and very scenic. We both LOVE hiking. We both crave the outdoors. It won't be our last hike...that's for sure. I did not do any kind of workout. After coming home we did family stuff the rest of the afternoon into the evening. On Thursday afternoon I went to Group Ride. Even though I like the morning instructors significantly more, it was better than the last time I went. I got in a very good workout. On Friday I had to work (which I was probably too grouchy about) and I could have easily gone to the gym or at least gone running because I did not have to work until 9:30 AM. I slept until 8:45 PM. I had not gone to bed very late the night before. I slept too much and felt overtired and lethargic all day. It kind of stunk. The weather was not the greatest either. Everyone was crabby. Normally I love Holy Week and the Good Friday service, but I felt so overly distracted, frustrated, tired. Rob made the point that maybe that is the way we need to approach the cross and that Jesus brings us strength. Easter doesn't always have to be this big hoopla celebration. Saturday was a little better. I had to get up at 6 AM and do an interview for the Banner and I went swimming afterwards. I took the kids to Easter egg hunts and we went shopping. The evening was kind of rough and behavior issues somewhat spoiled it.
I had a great 4 mile run Easter morning and I listened to my favorite Christian songs/hymns while I ran. The rain held off. It was great to be outside. The behavior issues we had with some of the kids Saturday night carried over into Sunday morning. I spent a good part of Sunday morning before church anxious, upset, and frustrated. Normally I don't mind doing nursery at church (and I really don't do it very often) but it was so chaotic with all the extra kids. It just added to the exhaustion. I felt drained the whole rest of the day.
Yesterday I had hoped to go the gym. The kids did not have school but I had to work all day starting at 7 AM. I just couldn't get up and allowed myself to sleep until 6:30 AM. It was a full busy day, but better than Friday. The nice weather helped. My own kids did significantly better. We had one small incident in the morning but it got better from there. I did get to run in the afternoon and did about three and a half miles. The pace was better and more evened out--did not start out too fast.
This morning I went to Power and it was a normal Group Power workout. I am doing the Beaver Freezer on Saturday so I am not trying to push myself significantly. I am still looking at another triathlon later in the morning but not set on one yet.
I have been a little more anxious than normal lately and irritable. I really hate being this way and I think some of it is due to hormones. For some reason my anxiety is always higher in the spring. Even though it's a great time of year--for some reason my brain overreacts to everything. I have had to be intentional about not overreacting or complaining the last few days and it takes a lot of energy.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Spring Break
Not going anywhere over Spring Break and doing local activities was one of the best decisions we have made in a long time. It has been a very good so far. We're reconnected as a family, we are rested, and we have some general "downtime" which we have been craving.
Last week was a great week exercise wise. I did get to Power on Tuesday. I did 1,550 yards of swimming on Wednesday again. Thursday I did have to work, but it was amazingly beautiful out. After work, I rode my bike from the South River Road Courthouse to the Independence bridge and back--approximately 16 1/2 miles. It was nice to be outside. I was a little tired with the strong winds, but pretty confident on the bike. On Friday I did have to work again, but I ran six miles after work. It was warm and beautiful out. I did a big loop around the Sumpter neighborhood and hit some hills. I am still starting out too fast at a 8 1/2 minute mile pace and I can't carry it. My pace always goes down from there. I feel like I am starting slow, but I am not. Saturday I took the day off as we were downtown a good part of the day and then out in Keizer at a party. Sunday started out cold, wet, and rainy. It cleared up around 3 PM. So I biked again outside at Minto Brown doing just under 12 miles. Then I ran 2 1/2 miles afterwards. Because of all the rain, some of the paths are closed and are under water. It is really muddy in some places as well. The river is really high right now. It made the bike ride a lot of stop and start. The clipping and clipping out was very good practice for me. I am way more better at it than I was last spring. I am more confident and feel safer on the bike. Those long bike rides at the end of the summer helped.
I am looking into some group rides through the Salem Bicycle Club. I wish I had some people to ride with. My triathlon friends are almost all single or don't have young families so they have more availability than I do. I am locked into certain time periods I can actually go riding.
This week so far I ran a little over 6 miles Monday late morning. Weather was a little wet but not a downpour. I started out too fast again, but I can carry about a 9 minute mile pace. Then today I went to the mid morning Group Power which was nice. It is a nice change of pace to not have to go to early morning workouts.
Last week was a great week exercise wise. I did get to Power on Tuesday. I did 1,550 yards of swimming on Wednesday again. Thursday I did have to work, but it was amazingly beautiful out. After work, I rode my bike from the South River Road Courthouse to the Independence bridge and back--approximately 16 1/2 miles. It was nice to be outside. I was a little tired with the strong winds, but pretty confident on the bike. On Friday I did have to work again, but I ran six miles after work. It was warm and beautiful out. I did a big loop around the Sumpter neighborhood and hit some hills. I am still starting out too fast at a 8 1/2 minute mile pace and I can't carry it. My pace always goes down from there. I feel like I am starting slow, but I am not. Saturday I took the day off as we were downtown a good part of the day and then out in Keizer at a party. Sunday started out cold, wet, and rainy. It cleared up around 3 PM. So I biked again outside at Minto Brown doing just under 12 miles. Then I ran 2 1/2 miles afterwards. Because of all the rain, some of the paths are closed and are under water. It is really muddy in some places as well. The river is really high right now. It made the bike ride a lot of stop and start. The clipping and clipping out was very good practice for me. I am way more better at it than I was last spring. I am more confident and feel safer on the bike. Those long bike rides at the end of the summer helped.
I am looking into some group rides through the Salem Bicycle Club. I wish I had some people to ride with. My triathlon friends are almost all single or don't have young families so they have more availability than I do. I am locked into certain time periods I can actually go riding.
This week so far I ran a little over 6 miles Monday late morning. Weather was a little wet but not a downpour. I started out too fast again, but I can carry about a 9 minute mile pace. Then today I went to the mid morning Group Power which was nice. It is a nice change of pace to not have to go to early morning workouts.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Things are better
Life itself has been a bit more manageable and not nearly as overwhelming since March 1st...actually more like February 29th. The kids adjusted to Sarah not being here, got back into the normal school day to day routine. The first week of March I tried getting up between 5 and 5:30 every single morning and it really worked well. The same wake up/same go to bed time really helped me function. I did Ride on Monday of that week, Power on Tuesday, swim on Wednesday, ran on Thursday, Ride again on Friday, Saturday was a day off, and Sunday I ran a short run before church. That Saturday was a busy run around Saturday with Battle of the Books with a lunch party afterwards, cleaning & getting ready for the week & we went out with J & S at night. I didn't feel exhausted and moody like I often do on Saturdays. That Sunday I hoped to run more (I think I did barely 4 miles) but a run before church was much needed.
Last week was a little more challenging as I was in Tacoma Thursday morning until Friday night. Then Rob was in Portland all day Saturday. I only missed Wednesday because A & G's baby had a rough night and almost did not make it on Tuesday around 11 pm. Rob went down to the hospital and I was so jumpy I could not sleep. We only slept a couple hours and were tired all day. I was glad the baby was OK and I felt totally legitimate in skipping swim. I did run with Tracy on Monday and Map My Run was updating so all my data was lost. I think I did around 4 miles. On Tuesday I did Power. Wednesday I skipped. Thursday I left for Tacoma but I managed to get about a four mile run in before we left. Again MMR was not working properly so I could not keep track of my mileage. On Friday morning I rode this bike in the somewhat junky hotel we all stayed at. It was the type at the gym where you are low to the ground and the seat is like a normal chair. I only wanted to leave the girls for a half hour or so it was not a long workout. At least it counted for something. On Saturday I was able to swim when Rob got back. Again only a half hour but I timed myself swimming a 1/4 mile and I'm at around 11 minutes. Yesterday I wanted to run, but with daylight savings making us so tired. And the fact we had blowing rain and wind storms all day--it was not very nice out. I also went to go see A in the afternoon with friends and I didn't get home until after 3. I had to go to evening church because one of our interns was preaching.
So here we are in the second full week of March though it feels like the third week. Beaver Freezer is two weeks from Saturday and I feel like I have had zero time on my bike to prepare. Thank you rainier than normal winter. I have been at Ride pretty regularly and I may get some outside rides in over Spring Break. It is only a 15 mile ride which is not very long...so if I have to wing it--I will do so. Today I ran by myself. Tracy texted me during the night saying she could not run and was getting zero sleep. So I went by myself and did 4.61 miles. It was cold, dark morning--I greatly dislike daylights savings. But I got a good run in so grateful for that. It's the week before Spring Break and my child care schedule is not regular. I am so looking forward to Friday afternoon when my Spring Break officially starts--and I have some time off.
Rob's pastoral schedule has not slowed down--in many ways it's more intense. My schedule has slowed and I don't feel nearly as overwhelmed. The kids are doing better too. So that makes things a little more manageable and we can be better there for him. So thankful he gets next Sunday off.
Last week was a little more challenging as I was in Tacoma Thursday morning until Friday night. Then Rob was in Portland all day Saturday. I only missed Wednesday because A & G's baby had a rough night and almost did not make it on Tuesday around 11 pm. Rob went down to the hospital and I was so jumpy I could not sleep. We only slept a couple hours and were tired all day. I was glad the baby was OK and I felt totally legitimate in skipping swim. I did run with Tracy on Monday and Map My Run was updating so all my data was lost. I think I did around 4 miles. On Tuesday I did Power. Wednesday I skipped. Thursday I left for Tacoma but I managed to get about a four mile run in before we left. Again MMR was not working properly so I could not keep track of my mileage. On Friday morning I rode this bike in the somewhat junky hotel we all stayed at. It was the type at the gym where you are low to the ground and the seat is like a normal chair. I only wanted to leave the girls for a half hour or so it was not a long workout. At least it counted for something. On Saturday I was able to swim when Rob got back. Again only a half hour but I timed myself swimming a 1/4 mile and I'm at around 11 minutes. Yesterday I wanted to run, but with daylight savings making us so tired. And the fact we had blowing rain and wind storms all day--it was not very nice out. I also went to go see A in the afternoon with friends and I didn't get home until after 3. I had to go to evening church because one of our interns was preaching.
So here we are in the second full week of March though it feels like the third week. Beaver Freezer is two weeks from Saturday and I feel like I have had zero time on my bike to prepare. Thank you rainier than normal winter. I have been at Ride pretty regularly and I may get some outside rides in over Spring Break. It is only a 15 mile ride which is not very long...so if I have to wing it--I will do so. Today I ran by myself. Tracy texted me during the night saying she could not run and was getting zero sleep. So I went by myself and did 4.61 miles. It was cold, dark morning--I greatly dislike daylights savings. But I got a good run in so grateful for that. It's the week before Spring Break and my child care schedule is not regular. I am so looking forward to Friday afternoon when my Spring Break officially starts--and I have some time off.
Rob's pastoral schedule has not slowed down--in many ways it's more intense. My schedule has slowed and I don't feel nearly as overwhelmed. The kids are doing better too. So that makes things a little more manageable and we can be better there for him. So thankful he gets next Sunday off.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Frustrated
So I thought more about Blue Lake and my number one problem is that Rob is in Ukraine. I could ask my friends to take the kids from Saturday evening until Sunday afternoon. The problem is my friends are teachers at my kid's school and they work their tail ends off and they are amazing at what they do. Asking them to take my kids especially the last week of school (when things are even more crazier and they are juggling the school musical & graduation) might not be the most sensitive thing. I am leaning towards Tri at the Grove which is a smaller tri end of July. It looks like it might be a good fit.
So if I do the Grove I would not be in training yet, but more like pre-training. I still need to step up with the bike and swim. The big advantage would be I would have more opportunity to get some good open waters in and maybe some weekend rides.
This week so far I ran 5 miles Monday afternoon. Monday was a hard day. Derek was sick. It was Presidents Day so everyone was off school and I had no day care kids. The weather was amazingly beautiful. But because Derek was sick, we couldn't really go on any big outing or anything. I took the three girls to Riverfront Park. It was nice to be outside and they seemed to have a good time, but I am really worn out by all the competitive behavior and "one-upping" one another all day long. Kara regressed all day and acted like a toddler. It was pretty stressful. I don't feel rested after a day off--I feel more drained. I was so glad I got a good run it because I needed that time out of the house alone.
Tuesday was a bit better. I did make it to Power and pushed myself pretty hard. I am used to the new weights. The only issue I had was my shoulder moved and almost popped out completely when I lifted the bar off my back after the legs track. I can lift all the weight no problem--I don't feel strained during the workout. I just can't get the bar off my back very well. It was a little scary.
Today I swam 1300 yards--a total of 26 laps. I can usually get more in, but they were halfway through the warm up by the time I got in the pool. I felt a bit slower today. Derek apparently threw up in the night. I slept so hard, I didn't even wake up. I heard nothing. Rob cleaned everything up and even did a load of laundry. It is eerie I didn't even wake up. He should be better tomorrow. Rob & I already had it. We think Hailey had it mildly. Derek seemed to get hit the hardest. Sarah or Kara haven't had it and I am hoping if they do get it--it's before the weekend. Not sure when we'd know we're in the clear. Derek got it almost a week after we did.
So now it is a week later. The end of last week was a bit of a bust. I normally take Thursdays off so did not do any form of exercise. Friday morning I planned on Ride but I was incredibly tired. It had been such a hard week, I had no energy. I had thoughts of maybe going to the gym before the women's retreat, but that was next to impossible. I thought about exercising at the retreat but there was no bike and I was unsure of running all the hills and country roads. Plus I had little motivation. I went on a short hike around the lake and that was about it. The retreat was great bonding time and restful in many ways. In other ways it was tiring and I came home feeling behind.
So on Monday I ran with Tracy. I did about four miles. I would have liked to go a little farther, but it did not work out that way. On Monday night I was up late writing articles so I skipped Power and kept it as a day off. On Wednesday I swam 1550 yards which is almost one mile. It was a really good swim--I felt fast. On Thursday I went to the 5:30 PM Group Ride. I did not like the instructor--he seemed to not know what he was doing and he did not announce anything like when to shift. He just singing song lyrics. On Friday I could not really work out in the morning because Sarah was leaving early and then I went right to school to help with the auction after work. Had I known they did not need any help, I would have gone to the gym. But oh well--not a huge deal.
Yesterday (Saturday) was hard. I felt emotionally off at Derek's game. I really wanted to enjoy his last game, but we got seats where we could not see much. I honestly felt tired and drained from the last two months. We got back at 12:30 and I spent the whole time right until 5:30 cleaning, laundry, and working on child care stuff. Derek and Kara both had major meltdowns over cleaning--it was exhausting. It took them over two hours to do half hour jobs. The weather was nice, but I really didn't get to do anything outside with them. We had a small group game night last night and I really didn't want to go. I felt too tired and emotionally drained. I thought by the time I got there, I would feel better. Not the case. Kara had another major meltdown that reminded me of her two year tantrums. It lasted so long and was incredibly embarrassing. I had to put her in the youth group room with the lights off and told her to stay there. It was the only thing that calmed her down. Derek had some behavior problems in the beginning. I just wanted to go home. I was not into it and discouraged.
Now it's Sunday and I am not exercising today. I am going to start up tomorrow. I am little jealous of my friend who rode 25 miles yesterday and is running 9 this morning. My motivation is so low right now and I have a triathlon coming up in a month. I am just so tired and emotionally drained.
It's going to get better. I know the kids will come around and settle emotionally again. As will I. I just am not looking forward to going to church and deciphering between who to share with the fact I am doing well and who to give a shortened "I am doing fine." It's not that easy to be real and there is a cost to being transparent. I miss marathon training one year ago. I miss those early morning runs. I hate the fact I am not motivated to get up and run 4 miles.
So if I do the Grove I would not be in training yet, but more like pre-training. I still need to step up with the bike and swim. The big advantage would be I would have more opportunity to get some good open waters in and maybe some weekend rides.
This week so far I ran 5 miles Monday afternoon. Monday was a hard day. Derek was sick. It was Presidents Day so everyone was off school and I had no day care kids. The weather was amazingly beautiful. But because Derek was sick, we couldn't really go on any big outing or anything. I took the three girls to Riverfront Park. It was nice to be outside and they seemed to have a good time, but I am really worn out by all the competitive behavior and "one-upping" one another all day long. Kara regressed all day and acted like a toddler. It was pretty stressful. I don't feel rested after a day off--I feel more drained. I was so glad I got a good run it because I needed that time out of the house alone.
Tuesday was a bit better. I did make it to Power and pushed myself pretty hard. I am used to the new weights. The only issue I had was my shoulder moved and almost popped out completely when I lifted the bar off my back after the legs track. I can lift all the weight no problem--I don't feel strained during the workout. I just can't get the bar off my back very well. It was a little scary.
Today I swam 1300 yards--a total of 26 laps. I can usually get more in, but they were halfway through the warm up by the time I got in the pool. I felt a bit slower today. Derek apparently threw up in the night. I slept so hard, I didn't even wake up. I heard nothing. Rob cleaned everything up and even did a load of laundry. It is eerie I didn't even wake up. He should be better tomorrow. Rob & I already had it. We think Hailey had it mildly. Derek seemed to get hit the hardest. Sarah or Kara haven't had it and I am hoping if they do get it--it's before the weekend. Not sure when we'd know we're in the clear. Derek got it almost a week after we did.
So now it is a week later. The end of last week was a bit of a bust. I normally take Thursdays off so did not do any form of exercise. Friday morning I planned on Ride but I was incredibly tired. It had been such a hard week, I had no energy. I had thoughts of maybe going to the gym before the women's retreat, but that was next to impossible. I thought about exercising at the retreat but there was no bike and I was unsure of running all the hills and country roads. Plus I had little motivation. I went on a short hike around the lake and that was about it. The retreat was great bonding time and restful in many ways. In other ways it was tiring and I came home feeling behind.
So on Monday I ran with Tracy. I did about four miles. I would have liked to go a little farther, but it did not work out that way. On Monday night I was up late writing articles so I skipped Power and kept it as a day off. On Wednesday I swam 1550 yards which is almost one mile. It was a really good swim--I felt fast. On Thursday I went to the 5:30 PM Group Ride. I did not like the instructor--he seemed to not know what he was doing and he did not announce anything like when to shift. He just singing song lyrics. On Friday I could not really work out in the morning because Sarah was leaving early and then I went right to school to help with the auction after work. Had I known they did not need any help, I would have gone to the gym. But oh well--not a huge deal.
Yesterday (Saturday) was hard. I felt emotionally off at Derek's game. I really wanted to enjoy his last game, but we got seats where we could not see much. I honestly felt tired and drained from the last two months. We got back at 12:30 and I spent the whole time right until 5:30 cleaning, laundry, and working on child care stuff. Derek and Kara both had major meltdowns over cleaning--it was exhausting. It took them over two hours to do half hour jobs. The weather was nice, but I really didn't get to do anything outside with them. We had a small group game night last night and I really didn't want to go. I felt too tired and emotionally drained. I thought by the time I got there, I would feel better. Not the case. Kara had another major meltdown that reminded me of her two year tantrums. It lasted so long and was incredibly embarrassing. I had to put her in the youth group room with the lights off and told her to stay there. It was the only thing that calmed her down. Derek had some behavior problems in the beginning. I just wanted to go home. I was not into it and discouraged.
Now it's Sunday and I am not exercising today. I am going to start up tomorrow. I am little jealous of my friend who rode 25 miles yesterday and is running 9 this morning. My motivation is so low right now and I have a triathlon coming up in a month. I am just so tired and emotionally drained.
It's going to get better. I know the kids will come around and settle emotionally again. As will I. I just am not looking forward to going to church and deciphering between who to share with the fact I am doing well and who to give a shortened "I am doing fine." It's not that easy to be real and there is a cost to being transparent. I miss marathon training one year ago. I miss those early morning runs. I hate the fact I am not motivated to get up and run 4 miles.
Monday, February 15, 2016
Olympic...maybe?
I have enjoyed dabbling in triathlon. Last year I focused on marathon running. It is difficult to do both. Some do both, I realize. I doubt those people have young children. If they do--and I am sorry totally not trying to be judgmental--they are not spending large amounts of time with them. Either that or they are starting their workout at 4:00 am everyday even on the weekends. Anyway thankfully this not a popular blog or I would receive hate mail from all these mama ironman triathletes who try to convince me that it is possible to have it all. I am not going to try to have it all because it's not worth the stress, sacrifice, and missing out on quality time with my kids.
So anyway this spring/summer I am back to triathlon. I do want to run another marathon and try and break 4 hours...maybe even qualify for Boston...a gigantic maybe. I am keeping up on my running fairly well and am running 9 minute miles sometimes dipping into 8:45. But I do not want to train for a marathon right now. I miss the early morning sunrise runs and running to downtown and back. I have sweet memories of doing those long run around this time last year. But the idea of actually doing it is not enough to motivate me. I am not convinced my IT band is back to normal either.
January was not an easy month mentally and emotionally and February has had its moments. I feel like I turned a corner and I don't feel nearly as out of sorts as I did in January or the first week of February. It's not been all bad, but I feel a bit drained. Rob & I have been fighting some intestinal bug for almost a week now. It did not knock either of us out. Neither of us missed work or were on the couch for long periods of time. It is taking its time to heal. I think some of mine is stress related. My running friend said last week Monday I was running fast like I was working through my stress and she was probably right.
I did sign up for Beaver Freezer and I am looking forward to it. It's a sprint tri and I have been doing all the training necessary that I could probably do it tomorrow if I had to. I have not been on the bike as much as I would like to, but I have not neglected it either. I would love to do the Blue Lake Olympic Triathlon in June. There's a few factors right now that scare me such as: 1) the swim is 1.5 K which is 1700 yards--about 34 laps. And it's open water. I swim about 31-32 laps Wednesday mornings. I never feel like I am dying afterwards. But it is a big workout. And it's in a pool. Open water is a whole different world. I need to be able to get into the VB's lake and maybe do a Hagg Lake swim. Again time consuming...and costly. The Hagg Lake timed swims are not free. 2) I still get quite of a bit of anxiety biking. I still worry about falling, flat tires, not being able to clip in or out in time. I need to get some good rides in before June. It's hard to schedule a 1 1/2 - 2 hour bike ride because we always seem to have things on the weekends. Ideally I would like to bike with others. Most of my tri friends don't have kids and have a more flexibility in their weekend schedules. 3) I don't feel motivated right now and struggling with procrastination. I skipped my run yesterday and this morning...granted I can run in the afternoon today because there's no school. I have to get the drive back I had a few weeks ago.
So I need to talk to my tri friends, Rob of course, and figure this out. Ideally early June would be the perfect time to do it. I will exercise during the summer, but we are doing quite a bit of traveling. Training for something big might be taking on too much. Hailey wants to do a kids tri in August and I could help her train if I am not training for something. If I am going to do a marathon, January or February of 2017 would be the perfect time. I train better during the school year versus the summer. I hate running in the heat.
I don't need to make a decision right now, but I am going to act as if I am training for Blue Lake. So this would be Week #1 if I am following the training plan.
So anyway this spring/summer I am back to triathlon. I do want to run another marathon and try and break 4 hours...maybe even qualify for Boston...a gigantic maybe. I am keeping up on my running fairly well and am running 9 minute miles sometimes dipping into 8:45. But I do not want to train for a marathon right now. I miss the early morning sunrise runs and running to downtown and back. I have sweet memories of doing those long run around this time last year. But the idea of actually doing it is not enough to motivate me. I am not convinced my IT band is back to normal either.
January was not an easy month mentally and emotionally and February has had its moments. I feel like I turned a corner and I don't feel nearly as out of sorts as I did in January or the first week of February. It's not been all bad, but I feel a bit drained. Rob & I have been fighting some intestinal bug for almost a week now. It did not knock either of us out. Neither of us missed work or were on the couch for long periods of time. It is taking its time to heal. I think some of mine is stress related. My running friend said last week Monday I was running fast like I was working through my stress and she was probably right.
I did sign up for Beaver Freezer and I am looking forward to it. It's a sprint tri and I have been doing all the training necessary that I could probably do it tomorrow if I had to. I have not been on the bike as much as I would like to, but I have not neglected it either. I would love to do the Blue Lake Olympic Triathlon in June. There's a few factors right now that scare me such as: 1) the swim is 1.5 K which is 1700 yards--about 34 laps. And it's open water. I swim about 31-32 laps Wednesday mornings. I never feel like I am dying afterwards. But it is a big workout. And it's in a pool. Open water is a whole different world. I need to be able to get into the VB's lake and maybe do a Hagg Lake swim. Again time consuming...and costly. The Hagg Lake timed swims are not free. 2) I still get quite of a bit of anxiety biking. I still worry about falling, flat tires, not being able to clip in or out in time. I need to get some good rides in before June. It's hard to schedule a 1 1/2 - 2 hour bike ride because we always seem to have things on the weekends. Ideally I would like to bike with others. Most of my tri friends don't have kids and have a more flexibility in their weekend schedules. 3) I don't feel motivated right now and struggling with procrastination. I skipped my run yesterday and this morning...granted I can run in the afternoon today because there's no school. I have to get the drive back I had a few weeks ago.
So I need to talk to my tri friends, Rob of course, and figure this out. Ideally early June would be the perfect time to do it. I will exercise during the summer, but we are doing quite a bit of traveling. Training for something big might be taking on too much. Hailey wants to do a kids tri in August and I could help her train if I am not training for something. If I am going to do a marathon, January or February of 2017 would be the perfect time. I train better during the school year versus the summer. I hate running in the heat.
I don't need to make a decision right now, but I am going to act as if I am training for Blue Lake. So this would be Week #1 if I am following the training plan.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Where I'm At
I have not had any chance to blog. I am adjusting to this new schedule where I am basically working 7-4 everyday with only little breaks. It is busy. The good thing is I like the work and I love the kids. So I can't complain. The other good thing is I spend less time "wasting time" like on Facebook like I used to. The house is cleaner, the laundry caught up, the schedule flows. The downside is I am tired and I am not getting to the little things. Saturdays are too quick--when we have run around Saturdays like we did last weekend, the weekend hardly feels restful.
I have kept up on exercise very well--at least 5-6 times a week. I signed up for Beaver Freezer tri in April. I have run at least 2-3 times a week, biked indoor or out at least once or twice, swam once, and done Power at least once. With running I'm up to about 7-8 miles on the weekends. I have been doing about 2-3 early mornings a week during the week. I feel good where I'm at. I want to get back into eating a bit healthier...I feel like I slipped a little. But I have to keep adjusting to this new schedule.
My anxiety has not been great at times. I revert to the fight/flight/freeze mode especially when drama ocurrs among the kids. I had a couple bad days in January and early February. But I feel like I made some headway and it's been pretty peaceful the last few days.
I have kept up on exercise very well--at least 5-6 times a week. I signed up for Beaver Freezer tri in April. I have run at least 2-3 times a week, biked indoor or out at least once or twice, swam once, and done Power at least once. With running I'm up to about 7-8 miles on the weekends. I have been doing about 2-3 early mornings a week during the week. I feel good where I'm at. I want to get back into eating a bit healthier...I feel like I slipped a little. But I have to keep adjusting to this new schedule.
My anxiety has not been great at times. I revert to the fight/flight/freeze mode especially when drama ocurrs among the kids. I had a couple bad days in January and early February. But I feel like I made some headway and it's been pretty peaceful the last few days.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Sick
In a way I feel like I am back to square one. On Thursday I ran during Rob's lunch and had a fabulous fast run. My initial plan was to go to Ride on Friday morning. The alarm went off and I just could not do it. I was not going to let it ruin my day, but the day got ruined by other factors. Friday morning was rough and my anxiety was too high again. I struggled to get through the morning. I felt significantly better by the afternoon. Friday night I had the middle school all nighter so I had not planned on exercising at all on Saturday. I got some sleep, but it was not decent sleep. I tried to take a nap Saturday afternoon while Rob was working, but the kids were really out of hand and would not let me. After sending some of them to a mandatory quiet time, I was able to take a long nap and feel somewhat rested. Saturday night I felt fine. I went to bed that night extra fatigued and I thought it was a result of the all nighter. Sunday morning at 4 AM I woke up with stomach pain, chills, and eventually a head ache. I knew I was sick.
I had some of the same symptoms as the day care kids so I knew I caught their virus. I took Kara in last week and the doctor said there is a contagious virus going around. There is nothing you can do but wait for it to flush itself out. The lack of sleep and extra stress I have been under probably compromised my immune system. I slept off and on all day. The exchange students went to a friend's house after their church and stayed there all day. They needed that time away and enjoyed being with their friends. Derek went to a friend's house. Hailey and Kara did fine on their own after church. I felt better by the evening so still fatigued and had minor chills. I only had Powerade and a couple crackers the whole day. Rob took care of everything even bringing the girls to Immanuel. I was forever grateful as Sundays are super busy for him. He even had a meeting after church.
On Monday I woke up feeling significantly better but still low appetite. I decided not to run because I had hardly eaten anything. I was glad I had no day care kids and the kids were off school. Overall it was a good day and less stressful than some of the days last week. I decided to take Tuesday & today off because I am not ready to get up at the crack dawn yet. Even yesterday afternoon I had chills again around lunch time and no appetite--I almost laid down again but I was afraid I would sleep too long. Last night I went out with Gretchen and I did not want to cut that short to be home in time to get up this morning.
So today is the first day I don't really feel sick. I am tired of these setbacks interfering with my exercise. But I am not training for a marathon or anything--so I don't think it's that big of a deal. Overall my anxiety level is lower, but I still struggle with some of the day to day issues with the girls. Talking to Gretchen last night was helpful and made me realize I am being too hard on myself. Derek and Kara were having adjustment issues, but they seem to be resolved. They actually have done really well the last couple days.
So December was super busy. January was kicking my butt. Thankfully things feel a little more in control right now. I may just start up again with exercise next week...haven't fully decided yet.
I had some of the same symptoms as the day care kids so I knew I caught their virus. I took Kara in last week and the doctor said there is a contagious virus going around. There is nothing you can do but wait for it to flush itself out. The lack of sleep and extra stress I have been under probably compromised my immune system. I slept off and on all day. The exchange students went to a friend's house after their church and stayed there all day. They needed that time away and enjoyed being with their friends. Derek went to a friend's house. Hailey and Kara did fine on their own after church. I felt better by the evening so still fatigued and had minor chills. I only had Powerade and a couple crackers the whole day. Rob took care of everything even bringing the girls to Immanuel. I was forever grateful as Sundays are super busy for him. He even had a meeting after church.
On Monday I woke up feeling significantly better but still low appetite. I decided not to run because I had hardly eaten anything. I was glad I had no day care kids and the kids were off school. Overall it was a good day and less stressful than some of the days last week. I decided to take Tuesday & today off because I am not ready to get up at the crack dawn yet. Even yesterday afternoon I had chills again around lunch time and no appetite--I almost laid down again but I was afraid I would sleep too long. Last night I went out with Gretchen and I did not want to cut that short to be home in time to get up this morning.
So today is the first day I don't really feel sick. I am tired of these setbacks interfering with my exercise. But I am not training for a marathon or anything--so I don't think it's that big of a deal. Overall my anxiety level is lower, but I still struggle with some of the day to day issues with the girls. Talking to Gretchen last night was helpful and made me realize I am being too hard on myself. Derek and Kara were having adjustment issues, but they seem to be resolved. They actually have done really well the last couple days.
So December was super busy. January was kicking my butt. Thankfully things feel a little more in control right now. I may just start up again with exercise next week...haven't fully decided yet.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Here we are...it's January
I am not even sure where to start. It has been awhile since I posted. Our vacation to Virginia feels like eons ago because of how intense the last week and a half has been. And December--what was up with December this year. December is busy anyway but I always felt like I was running from one thing to the next. A big majority of it was due to all the child care training meetings and holiday events. I had a few days off just at home before we left for Virginia and that was much needed. Our vacation was a good mix of activity and downtime. I only ran once on vacation--on the Virginia Beach boardwalk. It was a great five mile run and I LOVE running there. I did not have much motivation to run more than this. I craved the rest.
We came home late Friday night/early Saturday morning. We spent the whole Saturday getting ready for our Korean students to come--setting up beds, moving Hailey upstairs, grocery shopping, and I had errands to run for child care. We awoke Sunday morning to snow. Church should have been cancelled but there was a birthday party afterwards--so only a small number were even in church. Our students came soon after church. We had a good first day getting to know one another. We played Mario Kart, Ticket to Ride, watched AFV etc. I felt a little out of sorts and socially awkward, but our kids were doing awesome. I was hoping school would NOT be cancelled on Monday. However I did not get my wish. Instead I had two Korean students, my three, and three day care kids in the house all day long. We could not go anywhere due to the snow. It was a long day and more busy if anything--everyone needed help with something. At one point I was going to have them take a number. I was really tired by the end of it and still feeling out of sorts. So Rob sent me to the gym where I rode the bike for 40 minutes and watched Shark Tank.
My plan was to get up early Tuesday and go to Power thus getting back into the routine. I woke up with bad anxiety and I could not get up. Tuesday actually turned out to be a decent day. Rob & I both decided we had to put off exercise for the rest of the week until the girls settled into a routine. Wednesday was hard and Thursday was even harder. I was dealing with anxiety but doing my best to hold it together. I felt like I was stifling my emotions and I would eventually crack. We were dealing with some bedtime issues and reluctance. On Friday I posted house rules and that helped tremendously. We've not had many bedtime issues since. They also respect our Sundays. Our kids don't do homework on Sundays not as a legalistic thing but because they need a break. They need time to play, be kids, and take a break from schoolwork.
Saturday I woke up with crazy anxiety and Saturday morning and afternoon was rough. I somehow got through it and worked things out. I felt better by the evening. Sunday morning we had a set back with the girls and getting them ready for church (they have to go to Immanuel which is a 1/2 hour earlier) felt like getting preschoolers ready. I was getting so frustrated and I felt completely powerless. The complaining and reluctance was getting to me. Then there was miscommunication and they dropped the girls off while our church service was still going on. I got them back to Immanuel and a friend took them for the whole afternoon. They had a great time and we got a needed break.
On Monday I woke up and had a good run with Tracy. We went a little over 4 miles and were slower than normal. She has been sick and I have not been running. So it was not an easy run, but we were glad we got out. Monday started out as the smoothest morning we had since the girls got here. Something happened at school that upset one of the girls and I felt like we had a major set back. Dealing with her Monday afternoon and evening was hard. I was able to connect with her better and talk to her. It carried over into Tuesday (yesterday). She has major mood swings and I never know what mood I am going to get hit with. She is having a hard time adjusting here. I can understand it, but I cannot excuse some of the behavior.
Tuesday I went to Power and it has changed a lot--all new weights. I am not completely used to the new equipment. This morning I got up an swam. The exercise and getting up before everyone is helping me function. My anxiety is better than it was a week ago, but I am still feeling too much stress. Yesterday I hit a curb and popped a tire in the van--that just added to all the extra stress. I feel like I am just getting the minimal done each day and there are other things I can never get to. Last week I was not taking care of myself very well. This week so far I've done better.
This really is not a bad thing. I am learning a great deal. Our kids are doing pretty well and learning things too. Rob & I are working very well together--we only had one major issue we had to work through. Today I get a break as they are in Portland all day & evening. So I will be using this time to get caught up on things.
We came home late Friday night/early Saturday morning. We spent the whole Saturday getting ready for our Korean students to come--setting up beds, moving Hailey upstairs, grocery shopping, and I had errands to run for child care. We awoke Sunday morning to snow. Church should have been cancelled but there was a birthday party afterwards--so only a small number were even in church. Our students came soon after church. We had a good first day getting to know one another. We played Mario Kart, Ticket to Ride, watched AFV etc. I felt a little out of sorts and socially awkward, but our kids were doing awesome. I was hoping school would NOT be cancelled on Monday. However I did not get my wish. Instead I had two Korean students, my three, and three day care kids in the house all day long. We could not go anywhere due to the snow. It was a long day and more busy if anything--everyone needed help with something. At one point I was going to have them take a number. I was really tired by the end of it and still feeling out of sorts. So Rob sent me to the gym where I rode the bike for 40 minutes and watched Shark Tank.
My plan was to get up early Tuesday and go to Power thus getting back into the routine. I woke up with bad anxiety and I could not get up. Tuesday actually turned out to be a decent day. Rob & I both decided we had to put off exercise for the rest of the week until the girls settled into a routine. Wednesday was hard and Thursday was even harder. I was dealing with anxiety but doing my best to hold it together. I felt like I was stifling my emotions and I would eventually crack. We were dealing with some bedtime issues and reluctance. On Friday I posted house rules and that helped tremendously. We've not had many bedtime issues since. They also respect our Sundays. Our kids don't do homework on Sundays not as a legalistic thing but because they need a break. They need time to play, be kids, and take a break from schoolwork.
Saturday I woke up with crazy anxiety and Saturday morning and afternoon was rough. I somehow got through it and worked things out. I felt better by the evening. Sunday morning we had a set back with the girls and getting them ready for church (they have to go to Immanuel which is a 1/2 hour earlier) felt like getting preschoolers ready. I was getting so frustrated and I felt completely powerless. The complaining and reluctance was getting to me. Then there was miscommunication and they dropped the girls off while our church service was still going on. I got them back to Immanuel and a friend took them for the whole afternoon. They had a great time and we got a needed break.
On Monday I woke up and had a good run with Tracy. We went a little over 4 miles and were slower than normal. She has been sick and I have not been running. So it was not an easy run, but we were glad we got out. Monday started out as the smoothest morning we had since the girls got here. Something happened at school that upset one of the girls and I felt like we had a major set back. Dealing with her Monday afternoon and evening was hard. I was able to connect with her better and talk to her. It carried over into Tuesday (yesterday). She has major mood swings and I never know what mood I am going to get hit with. She is having a hard time adjusting here. I can understand it, but I cannot excuse some of the behavior.
Tuesday I went to Power and it has changed a lot--all new weights. I am not completely used to the new equipment. This morning I got up an swam. The exercise and getting up before everyone is helping me function. My anxiety is better than it was a week ago, but I am still feeling too much stress. Yesterday I hit a curb and popped a tire in the van--that just added to all the extra stress. I feel like I am just getting the minimal done each day and there are other things I can never get to. Last week I was not taking care of myself very well. This week so far I've done better.
This really is not a bad thing. I am learning a great deal. Our kids are doing pretty well and learning things too. Rob & I are working very well together--we only had one major issue we had to work through. Today I get a break as they are in Portland all day & evening. So I will be using this time to get caught up on things.
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