Somebody’s Got a Case of the Mondays!

Monday, Monday, Monday. Here’s my  favorite thought about Monday:

Office Space = Classic.

Actually, my Monday will be pretty busy and productive at work. And my kids were delightful this morning. But I was kind of cranky. And it’s all my fault.

Staying up until after midnight watching The Walking Dead means that:

a) I did not sleep well. Zombie nightmares, anyone?

b) I did not get up to run at 6am as planned.

So here I am on Monday morning, guzzling coffee and looking at the day’s agenda to see how I can sneak in a run. I was really looking forward to it, since I did a cycling class on Saturday and didn’t get in a workout yesterday.

And then it hits me: these bad boys just arrived on my door step the other day – which means there is hope for a post-sunset run tonight!

 

We spent yesterday setting up bunk beds for my boys in their shared room. The toddler is still in his crib, but the 4-year-old went to bed in his own room last night. I know you can’t really grasp the significance of this, but trust me, it’s a huge relief. He used to be easy for bedtime when he was younger, but lately I have to sit with him in my bed, then we’d transfer him to his toddler bed, to avoid having his major drama disturb his brother’s angelic bedtime.

Last night, he snuggled up in his own room on the bottom bunk, with new Teenage Mutant “Injured” Turtles sheets, and went right to sleep. Win!

I was thrilled with my “evening off” so I ate a late dinner, watched my Tivoed Ironman Kona, hung out in the Twitter Runchat for the second time ever, and then watched The Walking Dead.

Me thinks I went a bit overboard with “me time” and need to focus on “me sleeping time” tonight. I know in my heart I’m a morning person, if I can go to bed at a decent hour.

Are you a night own or a morning person?

Workout Thwarted By Sick Kid? I Think Not.

Every week is a crazy week in Busy-Working-Momlandia. True statement.

Yes, as I’ve discovered, mornings are the key to working out consistently. I don’t mind the 6am alarm anymore, but still need to work on getting to bed before midnight. Burning the candle at both ends is what I do best, but my body wants 7 hours of sleep. Starting tomorrow (since it’s 12:05am right now), 11 is the new 12.

Anyhow, back to the story here:

I did a 3-mile run on Tuesday morning, when it finally cooled down enough to wear a new long-sleeved shirt that I bought weeks ago. It’s been staring at me every time I opened the dresser drawer, taunting me on 85-degree October days, laughing as I dug out tank tops and dreamed of cool, crisp fall weather.

The run started out in the pitch dark, with wet leaves all over the ground. I had to go a bit slower than usual until the sun came up because tree roots have destroyed the sidewalks and I couldn’t see what was underneath the leaves.

[Here is when you suffer through my first attempt at using a new photo collage app. Pretend it’s awesome and that my text isn’t crooked, mmmkay?]

But sometimes the stars don’t align in the morning – mom responsibilities trump exercise desires. Yeah, mom needs exercises, but sometimes kids needs mom more.

Wednesday was one of those days.

I got up and dressed and ready to go running by 6:15am, but it was still pitch dark outside. Remembering how challenging it was to run in the dark without a headlamp the day prior, and thinking I had tons of time since I was only planning to go for 30-40 minutes, I sat around on my laptop for a while.

And pretty soon, there it was. COUGH COUGH COUGH….”MOM???”

Middle Child had been sick with a cough since the afternoon prior, and woke up feeling pretty bad. I got him breakfast, put on a TV show, and kissed him goodbye, turning towards the door. But he wasn’t on board with that plan – he just wanted mommy.

You could say it was mom-guilt that kept me home, but it honestly wasn’t guilt. I love taking care of the kids when they are sick. He was sweet and loving and just wanted me to snuggle on the couch with him.

So we did.

And after a while, he seemed perfectly fine, the cough had cleared out, so I suggested we go to the basement and he could watch me jump around doing an exercise video – he LOVES watching me do this crazy stuff.

So we did.

Someone doesn’t seem so sick jumping around to my video, does he? Hmmm….

A lovely morning full of hugs and kisses, breakfast with my three kids, and still fitting in a 20-minute workout video before work? I consider it a win.

[Side note: Love the shirt. Want to wear it every day. Maybe it will make a race debut at the Army Ten Miler.]

Do kids, pets, or other factors derail your workouts? How do you adapt?

Running Faster and Swimming Farther

I’m feeling great in my workouts this week  because I’ve reached new levels in two of my sports. Yes, just two… No, I haven’t been on the bike this week… [Should I subtitle this post: and Biking Fewer?]

New Level #1: Running Faster

I went through feelings of surprise and delight at my faster speeds this summer, thinking they were a fluke, a thing that I did once or twice – this running “in the 8’s”, as I call it. I’m happy to say that after several consistent runs, I can accept that my new pace is in the low 9’s without pushing it my hardest, and “in the 8’s” when I push it. It’s comfortable now.

Case in point, my three recent runs:

Friday’s Run was 3.06 miles:

Mile 1 = 9:30

Mile 2 = 9:18

Mile 3 = 9:15

Tuesday’s Run was 3.1 miles:

Mile 1 = 9:16

Mile 2 = 9:01

Mile 3 = 8:43

Today’s Run was 4 miles:

Mile 1 = 9:21

Mile 2 = 9:23

Mile 3 = 9:11

Mile 4 = 9:15

I didn’t eat much before this morning’s run, just 1/3 of a too-mushy banana. We had no groceries and I had no workout fuel on hand. Better stock up before my long run this weekend!

What accounts for this improved pace?

1. Losing weight. I lost 11.6 pounds on a diet challenge that coincided with my triathlon training this summer. I have been eating better and working out consistently 5-6 days a week and am still losing. I feel strong and have less of me to lug around.

2. Training with a running stroller. I push that thing around for so many of my runs that without it, I feel like I’m flying.

3. Cross Training. I noticed the speed increase as soon as the triathlon training kicked into high gear. In fact, I noticed it at my first bike-run brick where, to my absolute shock, I ran sub-9 minute miles with ease. My legs like running after biking, but in addition they seem to love running with the muscles I’ve built up cross-training.

I’m starting to think that with some focused speed work, I’ll be doing 8:30 consistently. Army 10 Miler, here I come!

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New Level #2: Swimming Farther

Yesterday morning, I got up early and went to the pool in the pitch dark again. I loved swimming before work so much last week that I bought a Buy-10-Get-12 pass and plan to make it a regular thing. My officemates better get used to the Goggle Eyes!

I swam 1600 meters, or 1 mile, and felt uh-ma-zing.

I am certain that I was the only one at the pool for early morning lap swimming with a froggie towel. But it did the job – that thing is super absorbent!

Maybe I need my own pool towel, which could be animal-esque if necessary, for times like this so I don’t have to steal my toddler’s towel. Sorry, Finn!

I’m totally game to tackle a longer distance triathlon with a swim like that! I got home at about 8am for kid-craziness, A.K.A. breakfast/getting-ready-time in my house, a little later than planned since I showered and got dressed at the pool instead of at home. But at least I was already showered and ready to focus on the kids.

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Guilty Admission: I hereby admit that I looked up the further vs. farther usage before publishing this blog post. I consider myself pretty savvy with grammar, but I can never remember this one! So I used the guidance of The Grammar Girl – she won’t steer me wrong!

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Have you improved your speed or distance in a sport?

If so, how did you do it? Any tips and tricks to share with the readers?

It’s Early Mornings or Bust in Workoutland

Throughout my training for the triathlon, I realized that if I didn’t get the workout done first thing in the morning before the crazy morning kids’ breakfast/getting ready rush begins, it likely isn’t going to happen. Or at least not a quality workout. I sometimes work out in my basement late at night with videos, but I’ve lost my steam for kickboxing at 10pm. My days are just too long to have that kind of stamina.

[Evidence: half-assed bike workout late at night, followed by carby, giant snack that undid it all.]

The only exception to this is when I can exercise on my way to work, at work, or after work before the commute/dinner/bedtime crazy evening begins, but the latter means that I sacrifice precious time with the kids so I avoid it. But in general, I’m going for early mornings. I’ve had a really busy week and weekend, and not much time on the computer, but I felt pretty good about how I fit it all in last week.

Monday – My usual rest day.

Tuesday – I did something I’ve always wanted to do! I got up early, ran to the gym (1.2 miles), did 15-minutes on the exercise bike, and ran home. It was awesome. A brick workout with the exercise bike!

Wednesday – So here’s what I mean about the stamina late at night. Exercise didn’t happen early in the morning, but at night I was motivated. I put on my workout clothes while I was getting K ready for bed, but by the time I read him a story and sat with him while he fell asleep, it was about 9pm and I hadn’t yet eaten dinner. So… I ate a snack, and just felt really run down. I realized I needed a night in to chill out and relax as much as I needed exercise, so I focused on just spending time with my husband and having a nice evening to recharge. It worked, because Thursday morning I was back on track!

Thursday – Another day where I conquered something I’ve always wanted to do! I snuck out of the house in the pitch dark at 6am.

Side note: don’t step on this guy when you’re trying to avoid waking up the sleeping kids – he’s LOUD! I quickly ran out of the house before I could be caught escaping…

I went to the indoor pool, which is just a few miles away, and swam laps there for the first time. I had done all my triathlon swim training at the neighborhood pool and never ventured to the county pool, and it was great! Two big lap lane pools.

I swam 1200 meters and felt like I could have kept going, but I needed to shower and get ready for work. Came home, nobody was fighting and everyone was in a good mood for the day, including me – I consider it a success and want to make it a regular morning thing!

But this meant I had huge goggles-marks for work for a while.

Friday – Just did a quick 5K run around the neighborhood. It felt great! I am really happy that my regular pace has dropped quite a bit. It was actually 3.06 miles because they finished a sidewalk and I no longer have to cross a street – I need to reroute to make it an even 3.1.

Mile 1 = 9:30

Mile 2 = 9:18

Mile 3 = 9:15

(And I don’t think the 0.6 at 9:08 counts!)

Saturday – I did the Pretty Muddy Mud Run with my sister and sister-in-law, but ran it twice so it was a 10K obstacle/mud run. I’ll write up a race report soon, it was fun!

Sunday – I was pretty sore from the 10K obstacle run, and truly extremely busy with an au pair host family workshop, then a huge gala at work, so I took it as a rest day.

And off we go into another week of exercise, kids, work, and fun. Hoping to get in more time on my actual bike this week, rather than the faux bike at the gym. The good news is that the couple pounds I gained during taper and post-triathlon funk has disappeared again and I’m motivated to keep it up.

Do you workout in the morning?

Do you have a pool nearby for lap swimming?

Marathon Training For Busy People, at Fitful Focus

Marathon Training For Busy People. Do you ever wonder how you’d find the time to fit in training for a marathon? I’m a VERY busy person and have run two marathons, several halfs, and a triathlon. How do I find the time? Well you can find out in my guest post today at Fitful Focus!

Well, okay – the actual title she bestowed on my post is eerily accurate:

Where’s the Time?

Nicole has just started training for her marathon and I offer seven tips on how to fit marathon or other long-distance or endurance training into a busy life.

Here’s a snippet – go check out the whole post!

“When I started training for that first marathon all those years ago, I thought I was “too busy” and didn’t have the time. I had a demanding job, and felt exhausted when I came home from work.

I ran that 5K, then ran a 15K, and wanted to go for a marathon but was clueless about how to train and how to find the time. I signed up for a group training program to force myself to commit and to have some extra motivation. I learned something: I HAD THE TIME – I just didn’t know it before!

The time I found to train was when I had previously been:

a)    sleeping, or

b)    relaxing on the couch

I did a lot of the latter in my pre-running days. First I tackled a). And instead of waking up on a weekday at 7am to get ready for work, I got up at 6am to run. And voila! – I discovered a whole hour on a weekday that I didn’t know I had! And instead of feeling sleepier from getting up an hour earlier, I felt more energized all day after having run 5 miles in the morning!”

 Go check out the link to read more, and comment to let me know how you fit your training into your busy schedule!

Fitness Fashion Faux Pas X 3

On Tuesday, I had a banner day for exercise, except not for exercise attire. However, it didn’t start out as a banner day for exercise:

First, I turned off my alarm.

Then, I turned off my second alarm. (Yes, I set a backup alarm…)

Then, I woke up when my kids woke up, which meant my gig as an all-you-can-eat waitress in the restaurant that is my kitchen begins. Believe me, I know what it’s like to be a restaurant at all all-you-can-eat place, I was one in the 90’s at the old Chesapeake Bay Seafood House. It wasn’t a buffet. And it was not an easy job. My mornings at home seem just like that, except my customers don’t tip.

So I got ready for work, and off to work I went.

I usually take a Pilates class in my building on Fridays, but had missed it the previous Friday. So I thought: “I’ll go to the Tuesday class today as a makeup!”, and brought my Pilates clothes. But I discovered that the Tuesday class wasn’t happening that day.

Sigh, how will I fit in exercise today? My almost-4yo is a nightmare at bedtime, and it has been unreliable to get my workout in after he’s asleep. So a few clicks of the mouse later, and I was signed up for a noon barre class at Barre3. I had one more class on my newbie package of 3 classes, and had really loved the workout. It’s a great all-over strength workout, and unlike any of the other training I’m doing.

I walked over to the class, trying to go for a brisk walk to get a little cardio warmup, and my first Fitness Fashion Faux Pas of the day presented itself to me:

F.F.F.P. #1: You are not in good walking shoes.

I was wearing sandals with a bit of elevation, and they had this little pattern up and down the edge. Now I have blisters in the shape of said pattern. I was also wearing a skirt, which didn’t leave me with room for a decent stride to walk to class. So it took a bit longer, and caused a lot more pain, than it should have.

Toss off sandals (sigh of relief!), get a spot in class. Wait, I just have Pilates clothes with me! Barre class is NOT Pilates.

F.F.F.P. #2: You are not in good workout clothes.

Two things went wrong here, and they were inter-related. My cotton shirt wasn’t conducive to sweating. And I was just in my regular undergarments. So add up 1+1 and this = a completely soaked bra. Changing back into my work clothes was just delightful. I hope I didn’t smell for my afternoon staff meeting.

I walked back to my office (I’ll admit it was more like a limp back to my office with all the blister action) and finished out the work day. Commuted home, fed all the kids, put kids to bed. And as I mentioned, my son is having a pretty rough time at bedtime these days. My husband and I decided to trade and he suggested that I just leave the house since K. does better for him.

Off to the pool! But wait — my lap-swimming clothes are in the room where he’s trying to go to sleep! I found an old tankini, a spare set of goggles, and a semi-clean pool towel and went to the neighborhood pool to do my laps. No swim cap.

F.F.F.P. #3: You are not in good swimming attire.

Tankini: not appropriate for swimming laps! I was basically tugging at my free-floating top half the time.

Spare goggles: Fogging up so I couldn’t see most of the time.

No swim cap: Disaster! I had hair in my mouth as I tried to breathe.

The pool was crowded, the lap lane was full, so I carved out some space next to the lap lane and I swam some laps. Some kids decided to do races in the same area of the pool, which I thought was fab for them, but it made it hard for me to do laps without stopping 6 times each direction. Sometimes I got a simulated open water swim experience as they kicked up a storm, so I decided to embrace it. I wholeheartedly encourage kids swimming races at the pool for fun, and I wasn’t doing serious training that night.

I practiced sighting and breathing on the left side, which was really hard for me. The lifeguard blew the whistle for adult swim at 8:45, and I was able to get more consistency. I ended up getting in an 800-meter swim and went home.

It was a Fitness Fashion Faux Pas kind of day. But hey, I got in tons of exercise!

Have you ever had a wardrobe issue during a workout?

Garmin 10 vs. Nike+ app

The past two days, I have been rocking the morning workouts – go me! It feels so great to get the workout done and out of the way, without the pressure to fit something in after kids go to bed when I’m really exhausted and just want to sit down and relax.

This week, Eat Pray Run, DC, blogged about 5 steps to turning a night owl into a morning runner. These suggestions really resonated with me – hellllo, #2! I’m the worst at just going.to.bed (as evidenced by this post being written at 11:40pm the night before a 14-hour workday).

Yesterday morning I felt so new. I wore my new shoes and gave my new Garmin 10 a whirl. I’ve been ogling running watches for a long time and fully intended to get something while training for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in April. In fact, this was the exact watch I almost bought the week before the race.

I didn’t end up buying one back then since I decided to get something that could also handle cycling for the triathlon training, but after doing research on triathlon-style Garmin watches, I’ve decided that I really can’t splurge like that when I also need to buy a bike. So I went with the running-only watch since it does what I want it to do for running.

PLUS: IT HAD ME AT PURPLE.

I ran my Nike+ app on my phone to compare. The two devices were not in sync for the distance. I didn’t pause at any intersections or when I adjusted my watch once so the time and pace are a little inflated.

The shoes – wow they were really, well – ORANGE in the box, but on my feet they were more like a fun splash of color. I loved them overall, they feel so different from my old Asics. They are way lighter but still pretty cushiony and supportive in most areas. However, after mile 3 I developed some pretty bad toe/foot pain. It could be related to my Morton’s Neuroma – I’m not sure if it was the shoe.

This morning I was just snoozing my 6am alarm when F, my 17-month-old cutiehappyboy, decided it was a great time to wake up and scream loudly. He shares a room with his 3.5 year old brother, so i scooped him up, made him some breakfast, and took him in the jogging stroller for a little run. We only did 2.25 miles because I had to get to a meeting, but the foot was just starting to act up.

Nike+ and the Garmin were pretty in sync today. Someone please tell me to stop running my app and obsessively comparing the GPS accuracy of both devices. I cannot stop with stuff like this (obsessive much?).

Off to bed so I can get up early and workout, Eat Pray Run’s #2 is haunting me. Go…to…bed!