No, my two year old didn't poop in the bathtub. I made him wear little swimmers just in case.
My son came home from his second day of kindergarten and told us about the assembly he had at school. They talked about how the kids needed to help raise money for the school so they were doing a magazine subscription drive and they had cool things you can win if you sell lots of magazines. They had the actual prizes and showed them to the kids.
My son came home and told us how much he wants to win the prizes. I read the documentation and this is a school-sanctioned event to raise money for certain extra programs the school does. Some of them are not even for my son - like sixth grade camp.
I am furious about this. My son is six years old and very impressionable. I remember selling candles and magazines and things for my school when I was a kid but I don't remember being shown the actual prizes I could win for selling the most. And I don't remember being asked to do it when I was six!
This is wrong on so many levels. We pay a lot of taxes to be in this school district and get the benefit of the schools. Why does my six year old son need to be bribed by his school to sell magazines to parents and relatives if I'm already paying more in taxes than many districts? And why are they wasting school time talking about selling magazines instead of teaching my son? If the school needs money for some special program, let the parents know - don't waste school time trying to get my kid to guilt me into buying a bunch of magazines.
Even if they sent home the booklet and asked us to help out by buying magazines, I wouldn't have been so offended. To approach my child with this is unacceptable.
I don't know what to do about it. My son just started school - and his mom's making trouble already! I'll cool off over the weekend and then maybe reconsider sending out emails to various people like the school board, my state senator and representative, etc.
If this is what it's like to have children in school, my poor son is in trouble. I'm not good at letting things go.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
it's the little things...
My oldest baby started kindergarten yesterday and he took his first bus ride. I was much more anxious than he was.
"So you know what to do when you get on the bus?" I asked him nervously.
"Yeah. I find a seat," he said, nonplussed. I could tell he was annoyed because of the exasperated sigh he uttered as I continued.
"What's your bus number?" "Who's your teacher?" He answered as if he had been riding the bus and going to school for years.
"Alright!" I put my hand out for a high five. "You are ready to go, aren't you?" I was proud, but a little sad. My husband said when he got off the bus he had a smile from ear to ear. He was a little chatterbox about all of the things he did at school. And when I got home a few hours later, he was so excited to tell me all about it all over again. "I love school, Mommy." "That's great!" I said. "I knew you would!"
It warmed my heart.
Tonight, something turned my stomach.
My little one has a bad habit. The boys tend to take baths together, and it works pretty smoothly. Occasionally, however, things go wrong. Very wrong. Not as bad as this scene, which was actually pretty funny since it wasn't happening to me.
In my case, the 2 year old keeps pooping in the tub during his bath. And I never catch it in time. He did it again tonight.
"I can't look at it. EW!"
Sigh.
At least my running is keeping me sane. I'm on schedule - 9 miles this week with 6 on Saturday. My legs are constantly in pain but not so bad I can't keep running. I'm hoping one day my legs just give in and say "Fine, you win. We accept that you are running. We'll get back to normal now." Until then, I carry on.
"So you know what to do when you get on the bus?" I asked him nervously.
"Yeah. I find a seat," he said, nonplussed. I could tell he was annoyed because of the exasperated sigh he uttered as I continued.
"What's your bus number?" "Who's your teacher?" He answered as if he had been riding the bus and going to school for years.
"Alright!" I put my hand out for a high five. "You are ready to go, aren't you?" I was proud, but a little sad. My husband said when he got off the bus he had a smile from ear to ear. He was a little chatterbox about all of the things he did at school. And when I got home a few hours later, he was so excited to tell me all about it all over again. "I love school, Mommy." "That's great!" I said. "I knew you would!"
It warmed my heart.
Tonight, something turned my stomach.
My little one has a bad habit. The boys tend to take baths together, and it works pretty smoothly. Occasionally, however, things go wrong. Very wrong. Not as bad as this scene, which was actually pretty funny since it wasn't happening to me.
In my case, the 2 year old keeps pooping in the tub during his bath. And I never catch it in time. He did it again tonight.
Fortunately, my oldest had not yet gotten in the tub. He's not always so lucky. Tonight he kept yelling, "EW! YUCK! Mommy! Clean the tub!!!" Which is the LAST thing I want to do. Somehow my husband gets to watch the baby while I clean the tub and my other son keeps adding his own commentary -
"EW! Look at it in there!""I can't look at it. EW!"
"I told you he was pooping!"
"I am NOT taking a bath in there now!"Sigh.
At least my running is keeping me sane. I'm on schedule - 9 miles this week with 6 on Saturday. My legs are constantly in pain but not so bad I can't keep running. I'm hoping one day my legs just give in and say "Fine, you win. We accept that you are running. We'll get back to normal now." Until then, I carry on.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Training Resumes
I realized I never updated my blog with information about my doctor visit and training. Time is just flying by and I'm so busy. My son is getting ready for kindergarten next week and both boys will be having birthdays soon.
I did see the doctor, and he said that I could continue running, and following the training plan that I had for the Columbus Half Marathon in October. He said that running would not cause anything more serious to happen to my legs as long as I followed the schedule. He also suggested orthotics but given the price, he suggested I try over the counter insoles or go to a place called See the Trainer where I could get semi-custom insoles while I waited. I'm going to try the over the counter insoles first.
In the meantime, two weeks ago I ran a total of 10 miles, with minimal pain, and this past week I ran 13 total. I ran six of them on Saturday. My legs are still quite sore and I'm due to run again tomorrow. When I start out running, my legs hurt, but eventually I don't feel the pain anymore until afterwards.
Saturday was a terrible day to run. I was lucky I only had six miles. At 7:00 am the temperature was well into the 70s and the humidity was unbearable. Our fearless leader for the day, Tim, announced that no one was running a long run today. We looked at each other in confusion. He went on to say that instead there will be a series of short runs to each aid station. The aid stations are set up each Saturday by our training club and are 3-4 miles apart on the trail. As we ran, Tim ran up and down the path to see how everyone was doing. He asked me how far I was going and I said, six, and he responded, good, that's easy, you'll be fine. I was fine but some people had 22 miles to run! It was so humid you could hardly breathe! And since we've had some pretty severe rain the last few days, one of the small bridges was washed out and we had to take a small detour over some grass alongside the woods.
I felt good about the run, though. My time was right where I wanted it to be and I was able to keep myself going despite the heat. My legs didn't give out - I saw one woman who just kept stopping and I heard her tell Tim that she was having a bad day because her shins hurt. I feel for ya, honey!
I discovered that I really like running at lunchtime now. I used to get up at 5:00 am and run and then rush around to get ready for work. Now I get to work early so I can take a full hour to run at the gym. It's envigorating after sitting around for 3 or 4 hours. As long as I don't have any big meetings in the afternoon, I don't shower but just towel off before changing back into my work clothes. A little Bath and Body Works spray helps, too.
I have three days of 3 miles each and 6 miles this weekend. Gotta go do my PT and ice!
PS Go Steelers!
I did see the doctor, and he said that I could continue running, and following the training plan that I had for the Columbus Half Marathon in October. He said that running would not cause anything more serious to happen to my legs as long as I followed the schedule. He also suggested orthotics but given the price, he suggested I try over the counter insoles or go to a place called See the Trainer where I could get semi-custom insoles while I waited. I'm going to try the over the counter insoles first.
In the meantime, two weeks ago I ran a total of 10 miles, with minimal pain, and this past week I ran 13 total. I ran six of them on Saturday. My legs are still quite sore and I'm due to run again tomorrow. When I start out running, my legs hurt, but eventually I don't feel the pain anymore until afterwards.
Saturday was a terrible day to run. I was lucky I only had six miles. At 7:00 am the temperature was well into the 70s and the humidity was unbearable. Our fearless leader for the day, Tim, announced that no one was running a long run today. We looked at each other in confusion. He went on to say that instead there will be a series of short runs to each aid station. The aid stations are set up each Saturday by our training club and are 3-4 miles apart on the trail. As we ran, Tim ran up and down the path to see how everyone was doing. He asked me how far I was going and I said, six, and he responded, good, that's easy, you'll be fine. I was fine but some people had 22 miles to run! It was so humid you could hardly breathe! And since we've had some pretty severe rain the last few days, one of the small bridges was washed out and we had to take a small detour over some grass alongside the woods.
I felt good about the run, though. My time was right where I wanted it to be and I was able to keep myself going despite the heat. My legs didn't give out - I saw one woman who just kept stopping and I heard her tell Tim that she was having a bad day because her shins hurt. I feel for ya, honey!
I discovered that I really like running at lunchtime now. I used to get up at 5:00 am and run and then rush around to get ready for work. Now I get to work early so I can take a full hour to run at the gym. It's envigorating after sitting around for 3 or 4 hours. As long as I don't have any big meetings in the afternoon, I don't shower but just towel off before changing back into my work clothes. A little Bath and Body Works spray helps, too.
I have three days of 3 miles each and 6 miles this weekend. Gotta go do my PT and ice!
PS Go Steelers!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Positive Thoughts
While I'm at it, I want to send some good positive vibes to my brother and sister-in-law who are going through a very challenging time. I want to let my sister-in-law know that the women in our family are stubborn, very determined and tough, and those little ones are going to give it all they've got-it's in their genes. In the meantime, don't let Matt make you any of those gross protein shakes he drank when he was a scrawny little kid on the football team (you couldn't tell looking at him now!); those things are disgusting!
The One
21. Whoever makes you happy most of the time, that's "the one."
This is from an interesting post called "30 Random Ways to a Happier Life" that I was directed to from WWDN (Wil Wheaton's blog), which is one of my favorites (I should add it to my list). I don't agree with everything on the list but it does make you think.*
#21 is definitely true for me. Most of the time I feel like my husband and I are just getting through each day and barely see or talk to each other. We have many joys and some frustration, but our days are pretty much get up, I run, we get ready, take care of the boys when they wake up, I go to work, who knows what happens at home, I get home, we eat dinner and say hi!, he walks the dog, runs, I play with the boys and get them ready for bed, he does his fantasy football/baseball/basketball, I do my PT and/or blog, we watch Alias and go to bed. EVERY DAY. Weekends are slightly different in that I take care of the boys more and he runs more but it's still the same. Very little time for each other.
So it was really nice to find out during our romantic getaway that we could actually spend time alone and enjoy being with each other. It's been a while, and you never know, but we really were content and happy. It was like we were checking in with each other to see how we were doing.
I realized we need to make sure to do this every once in a while; it's good to know things are good between us and we manage to keep it that way despite all the chaos all around.
One of the best things (that keeps us sane) is sharing our love of running. My husband ran a 15 mile race on Sunday. He said it felt SO GOOD to race, and I knew exactly how he felt. I was jealous. One of my colleagues at work is now starting to run; her husband runs in my training group. She's not quite at the point (and might not ever get there - we are crazy, you know) of understanding the joy of long distance running. She was telling me how her husband's marathon training is getting in the way of things like family vacations. Instead of commiserating with her, I felt sorry for her husband! It wasn't always the case, but now I understand how my husband feels, because I feel it too.
I know I keep writing about being happy, and it must get old reading about it. There's so much happening around us that is negative or evil or just plain awful. I see scowls on people's faces when I'm walking to my office; I can't listen to my beloved NPR anymore because of all the awful news about Iraq; the news clippings I read at work every day are about unemployment or child abuse; and the TV news is all about the latest shootings or terrorist scares. It's important to remind yourself that you are happy; that these things are terrible but you can only deal with things within your control, and within my little world that I can control, things are good.
One of the comments to the blog posting 30 Random Ways to a Happier Life really reinforces this:
*Postscript - Um...my husband had to remind me it's our 13th wedding anniversary today. I wrote all of this without even thinking about what day it was. He's such a good guy to put up with me, especially when I suffer bouts of utter cluelessness. Happy Anniversary, honey!
This is from an interesting post called "30 Random Ways to a Happier Life" that I was directed to from WWDN (Wil Wheaton's blog), which is one of my favorites (I should add it to my list). I don't agree with everything on the list but it does make you think.*
#21 is definitely true for me. Most of the time I feel like my husband and I are just getting through each day and barely see or talk to each other. We have many joys and some frustration, but our days are pretty much get up, I run, we get ready, take care of the boys when they wake up, I go to work, who knows what happens at home, I get home, we eat dinner and say hi!, he walks the dog, runs, I play with the boys and get them ready for bed, he does his fantasy football/baseball/basketball, I do my PT and/or blog, we watch Alias and go to bed. EVERY DAY. Weekends are slightly different in that I take care of the boys more and he runs more but it's still the same. Very little time for each other.
So it was really nice to find out during our romantic getaway that we could actually spend time alone and enjoy being with each other. It's been a while, and you never know, but we really were content and happy. It was like we were checking in with each other to see how we were doing.
I realized we need to make sure to do this every once in a while; it's good to know things are good between us and we manage to keep it that way despite all the chaos all around.
One of the best things (that keeps us sane) is sharing our love of running. My husband ran a 15 mile race on Sunday. He said it felt SO GOOD to race, and I knew exactly how he felt. I was jealous. One of my colleagues at work is now starting to run; her husband runs in my training group. She's not quite at the point (and might not ever get there - we are crazy, you know) of understanding the joy of long distance running. She was telling me how her husband's marathon training is getting in the way of things like family vacations. Instead of commiserating with her, I felt sorry for her husband! It wasn't always the case, but now I understand how my husband feels, because I feel it too.
I know I keep writing about being happy, and it must get old reading about it. There's so much happening around us that is negative or evil or just plain awful. I see scowls on people's faces when I'm walking to my office; I can't listen to my beloved NPR anymore because of all the awful news about Iraq; the news clippings I read at work every day are about unemployment or child abuse; and the TV news is all about the latest shootings or terrorist scares. It's important to remind yourself that you are happy; that these things are terrible but you can only deal with things within your control, and within my little world that I can control, things are good.
One of the comments to the blog posting 30 Random Ways to a Happier Life really reinforces this:
Problems are important, or not. You can fix them, or not. The only problemsAmen.
worth worrying about are the important ones you can fix.
If you can fix the unimportant ones, fix them, but don't spend a lot of time doing it or you'll never get around to the important ones.
Worrying about unimportant problems that you can't fix is silly -- if it's unimportant, it doesn't need fixing.
Worrying about important problems that you can't fix is demoralizing -- do what you can to encourage the people who CAN fix them, and then move on to something more within your abilities. If you spend time stressing over these problems, you'll lose all the time you could be spending fixing ones more within your grasp.
*Postscript - Um...my husband had to remind me it's our 13th wedding anniversary today. I wrote all of this without even thinking about what day it was. He's such a good guy to put up with me, especially when I suffer bouts of utter cluelessness. Happy Anniversary, honey!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Going Deep
There's a wonderful blog post at Marathon Moms that struck a chord with me:
"I also promise, that, if you stick with it, one day, you'll go for a run, and you'll feel like you moved the earth. Besides giving birth to you and Ben, I don't think I've ever felt that powerful and strong. It's worth the miles to get to that place. You'll learn to rely on running like you would a best friend: spend some time with her, and you'll immediately fall into a comfortable, intimate rhythm that both plays to your strengths and exposes, and then improves, your weaknesses (especially when you're huffing up a hill). Mentally, you'll come to appreciate how imperative running is for processing everything from the mundane (what should I make for dinner?) to the massive (is this man the right man to marry?). Most of all, you'll discover that running is hardly ever about going faster. Running is, at its essence, about going deep."
The author is writing a letter to her young daughter. Read the entire posting.
"I also promise, that, if you stick with it, one day, you'll go for a run, and you'll feel like you moved the earth. Besides giving birth to you and Ben, I don't think I've ever felt that powerful and strong. It's worth the miles to get to that place. You'll learn to rely on running like you would a best friend: spend some time with her, and you'll immediately fall into a comfortable, intimate rhythm that both plays to your strengths and exposes, and then improves, your weaknesses (especially when you're huffing up a hill). Mentally, you'll come to appreciate how imperative running is for processing everything from the mundane (what should I make for dinner?) to the massive (is this man the right man to marry?). Most of all, you'll discover that running is hardly ever about going faster. Running is, at its essence, about going deep."
The author is writing a letter to her young daughter. Read the entire posting.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
You're Lookin' Good, Girl
I don't know what age you decide that catcalls are no longer offensive but actually compliments but since I turned 39 on Sunday, I've decided that "You're lookin' good, girl" uttered by a stranger passing by me on my way to the parking garage is a compliment. It made me smile.
My shin splint problem is aggravating and frustrating to me because I'm trying to stay in shape and have found an athletic activity that I love and want to continue. However, considering that things could be much worse, I feel very fortunate to have what I have.
I have not been blogging much because I have been quite busy, and then this weekend, not busy at all, by design.
Last Tuesday I decided to take a break from running. I was going to take a 3 week break and just let my legs heal before I tear them up again. I considered Joe's opinion that my legs were otherwise healthy and running should not cause serious problems but thought the safest course was to stop for a while. I even started riding the stationary bike at the gym for cardio fitness. Needless to say, riding the bike was quite boring and I barely felt like I exerted myself, even if the display showed 45 minutes, 8 miles and 250 calories burned.
This past weekend, my birthday weekend, my husband and I took a much needed mini vacation away from the kids. It was the first time we have gone anywhere without the kids. We missed them terribly but really needed the time to recharge. We went to a cottage in the Hocking Hills in southeast Ohio. It was quite secluded - no tv, no telephone and no computer. We had a picnic basket dinner waiting for us Friday night. We were able to talk freely in complete sentences. We could eat uninterrupted - no "stop feeding the dog" and "eat your broccoli I don't care if that one doesn't have cheese on it" and "don't bang your fork on your bowl" and "this is not a restaurant eat what we made for you" and "your knees were not invited to dinner put them down" and...I don't need to go on. It was surreal. There was NO NOISE. We savored the food and the silence and enjoyed the view of the woods from the back porch. On Saturday we took a hike, read books, rocked on rocking chairs on the back porch, and got a couples massage. I highly recommend a full body massage - it was incredible. The feeling of contentment was something I had never experienced before and I think my husband had the same feeling.
When the weekend ended, we arrived back at home to rescue my parents (who were heros to have stayed with the kids all weekend - although I think they had more fun than they were supposed to!). The chaos came at us instantaneously - kids rushing up to tell us what they did, the dog goosing us in the behind with her nose and swooshing her tail all over the place, and my parents asking how the weekend went and what did we eat and did we do anything fun? Wow - it was like a wave hit us as we walked in the door. We struggled to stay afloat as the chaos surrounded us from all sides and we finally were able to tread water.....(did that metaphor get out of hand a little?)
We managed to get back on track on Monday. As I was getting in the car to go to work, the kids were inside yelling something, and my husband peeked his head out of the door. His eyes were saying "help me..." but he had a grin on his face. For me the effect of the weekend lasted all day on Monday. I think it's gone now, although when I think about the weekend a small sense of calm runs through me.
On Monday, maybe due to the rest I had, I felt good enough to run again. Only 1.5 miles, but I decided to ease back into training again. I will be seeing the doctor on Thursday to confirm my legs will be ok, and to ask about how to resume my training. I'm religiously doing my PT and I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate the stationary bike into my training as well to allow my legs sufficient recovery time.
Yeah, I'm lookin' good. I'm feelin' good too.
My shin splint problem is aggravating and frustrating to me because I'm trying to stay in shape and have found an athletic activity that I love and want to continue. However, considering that things could be much worse, I feel very fortunate to have what I have.
I have not been blogging much because I have been quite busy, and then this weekend, not busy at all, by design.
Last Tuesday I decided to take a break from running. I was going to take a 3 week break and just let my legs heal before I tear them up again. I considered Joe's opinion that my legs were otherwise healthy and running should not cause serious problems but thought the safest course was to stop for a while. I even started riding the stationary bike at the gym for cardio fitness. Needless to say, riding the bike was quite boring and I barely felt like I exerted myself, even if the display showed 45 minutes, 8 miles and 250 calories burned.
This past weekend, my birthday weekend, my husband and I took a much needed mini vacation away from the kids. It was the first time we have gone anywhere without the kids. We missed them terribly but really needed the time to recharge. We went to a cottage in the Hocking Hills in southeast Ohio. It was quite secluded - no tv, no telephone and no computer. We had a picnic basket dinner waiting for us Friday night. We were able to talk freely in complete sentences. We could eat uninterrupted - no "stop feeding the dog" and "eat your broccoli I don't care if that one doesn't have cheese on it" and "don't bang your fork on your bowl" and "this is not a restaurant eat what we made for you" and "your knees were not invited to dinner put them down" and...I don't need to go on. It was surreal. There was NO NOISE. We savored the food and the silence and enjoyed the view of the woods from the back porch. On Saturday we took a hike, read books, rocked on rocking chairs on the back porch, and got a couples massage. I highly recommend a full body massage - it was incredible. The feeling of contentment was something I had never experienced before and I think my husband had the same feeling.
When the weekend ended, we arrived back at home to rescue my parents (who were heros to have stayed with the kids all weekend - although I think they had more fun than they were supposed to!). The chaos came at us instantaneously - kids rushing up to tell us what they did, the dog goosing us in the behind with her nose and swooshing her tail all over the place, and my parents asking how the weekend went and what did we eat and did we do anything fun? Wow - it was like a wave hit us as we walked in the door. We struggled to stay afloat as the chaos surrounded us from all sides and we finally were able to tread water.....(did that metaphor get out of hand a little?)
We managed to get back on track on Monday. As I was getting in the car to go to work, the kids were inside yelling something, and my husband peeked his head out of the door. His eyes were saying "help me..." but he had a grin on his face. For me the effect of the weekend lasted all day on Monday. I think it's gone now, although when I think about the weekend a small sense of calm runs through me.
On Monday, maybe due to the rest I had, I felt good enough to run again. Only 1.5 miles, but I decided to ease back into training again. I will be seeing the doctor on Thursday to confirm my legs will be ok, and to ask about how to resume my training. I'm religiously doing my PT and I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate the stationary bike into my training as well to allow my legs sufficient recovery time.
Yeah, I'm lookin' good. I'm feelin' good too.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Now What?
Here is the email message I sent my husband when I got to work after my PT:
"Joe was my physical therapist today. He made me feel so much better. He is so good!
I told him I wasn't coming back but he suggested I see the dr as we have not made progress and he can recommend what the next course of action would be. I told Joe I thought I should stop running for a while and he said that would be the quickest way to get relief and perhaps see some progress but he said it was a hard decision and he didn't think that moderate running would hurt my leg any more. I asked him about what I read on the websites (falling arches), and he basically said that it would not happen in my situation. Perhaps I was reading about the wrong problem, but I'll ask the dr to be sure.
He thought that the dr might prescribe orthotics. He also said I might have to decide how much pain I can live with as it might not go away entirely. I had been thinking those same things.
So I don't know what to do! I may try to run one more time and then take a break. I have a doctor's appt a week from Thursday at 7:10 am. I'll see what he has to say but in the meantime, I'm so conflicted!!!!!!"
My personal coach and I will talk it out. While we are watching Syd and Jack. We had a new Netflix delivery today!
"Joe was my physical therapist today. He made me feel so much better. He is so good!
I told him I wasn't coming back but he suggested I see the dr as we have not made progress and he can recommend what the next course of action would be. I told Joe I thought I should stop running for a while and he said that would be the quickest way to get relief and perhaps see some progress but he said it was a hard decision and he didn't think that moderate running would hurt my leg any more. I asked him about what I read on the websites (falling arches), and he basically said that it would not happen in my situation. Perhaps I was reading about the wrong problem, but I'll ask the dr to be sure.
He thought that the dr might prescribe orthotics. He also said I might have to decide how much pain I can live with as it might not go away entirely. I had been thinking those same things.
So I don't know what to do! I may try to run one more time and then take a break. I have a doctor's appt a week from Thursday at 7:10 am. I'll see what he has to say but in the meantime, I'm so conflicted!!!!!!"
My personal coach and I will talk it out. While we are watching Syd and Jack. We had a new Netflix delivery today!
Shin Splints Part Three
I woke up this morning and my posterior tibialis muscles still hurt. A lot. I did that thing I should never do - searched the internet - and found some consistent information. If I keep putting stress on this muscle it could turn into or might already be tendonitis. If the condition worsens, my arches will fall. Lovely. The treatment is rest (no running), stretching and strengthening exercises, and possibly orthotics.
I have my PT (pain and torture) appointment this morning and I have decided I can't afford to keep going. My insurance doesn't fully cover it. Also, I am given exercises I can only do with their equipment in their office but I only go once a week. And maybe I have blinders on but no one really sat me down and said, you should stop running right now and do these exercises and you will get better. It was never cut and dry. Perhaps I'm just frustrated right now.
The realization that I've come to just now is that I should probably stop running for three weeks or so. I'm going on a mini-vacation this weekend and it doesn't look like there is a good place to run, anyway. Three weeks, however, is a long time. It's a painful decision. What if it doesn't work?
Another reason for the anxiety is the fact that running is the one thing I can do easily to lose weight. I am one of those people who easily gains weight and has to work really hard to lose it. I eat pretty healthy (except for the occasional ice cream) but only strenous exercise will cause the weight to come off. So three weeks with no running means I have to somehow fit in some type of cardio that will do the job. I am not very coordinated nor do I have any athletic prowess. Running is the one thing I can do. I guess I will try to see if I can fit in time at the gym to do the stationary bike or the elliptical (and try not to kill myself doing it).
I need to just keep telling myself that after three weeks, I should still be able to ease back into training for the half marathon. And if the rest and therapy doesn't work, I'm doing the half marathon and then figuring out what to do.
Wow that was cathartic. Now I can face my physical therapist this morning. I feel sorry for my staff at work, though. My mood alters tremendously when I can't run.
I have my PT (pain and torture) appointment this morning and I have decided I can't afford to keep going. My insurance doesn't fully cover it. Also, I am given exercises I can only do with their equipment in their office but I only go once a week. And maybe I have blinders on but no one really sat me down and said, you should stop running right now and do these exercises and you will get better. It was never cut and dry. Perhaps I'm just frustrated right now.
The realization that I've come to just now is that I should probably stop running for three weeks or so. I'm going on a mini-vacation this weekend and it doesn't look like there is a good place to run, anyway. Three weeks, however, is a long time. It's a painful decision. What if it doesn't work?
Another reason for the anxiety is the fact that running is the one thing I can do easily to lose weight. I am one of those people who easily gains weight and has to work really hard to lose it. I eat pretty healthy (except for the occasional ice cream) but only strenous exercise will cause the weight to come off. So three weeks with no running means I have to somehow fit in some type of cardio that will do the job. I am not very coordinated nor do I have any athletic prowess. Running is the one thing I can do. I guess I will try to see if I can fit in time at the gym to do the stationary bike or the elliptical (and try not to kill myself doing it).
I need to just keep telling myself that after three weeks, I should still be able to ease back into training for the half marathon. And if the rest and therapy doesn't work, I'm doing the half marathon and then figuring out what to do.
Wow that was cathartic. Now I can face my physical therapist this morning. I feel sorry for my staff at work, though. My mood alters tremendously when I can't run.
Monday, August 6, 2007
This One's For You
I was trying to think of something to blog about today since my 2 mile run was uneventful, unless you count the continuous shin pain. Then my husband told me that my mother-in-law had asked about my shin splints and said that she loves to read my blog. That is a very nice thing to say since it is very weird to write, for the world to see, what is going on in your head. Well, I only share a very small part of the crazy stuff going on in my head. You don't want to go there. Seriously.
On a recent post on the Marathon Moms blog on Runner's World, Sarah said she was running for the other Marathon Mom, Dimity, who has a stress fracture in her heel and can't run for six weeks.
Marilyn, my mother-in-law, recently fell down some stairs and broke her collar bone and her wrist in two places. She's ok, but she's out of commission for six to eight weeks. She's lucky it wasn't worse.
Anyhow, Marilyn, my run this morning was for you. I kicked butt and ran through the pain until I couldn't feel it anymore. It was a great run. Hopefully my good-feeling vibes travelled all the way to you today.
And as a side note, I saw my gynecologist for my annual exam (yep that's fun) and told her I had shin splints from running. She suggested swimming, and then cycling. When I said no I don't think so she said...you guessed it... "I hate running." It was deja vu all over again.
Daily Running Log: 2 miles, 12:11 m/m, on the treadmill - it was REALLY foggy this morning so I opted to stay inside where I could see where I was running.
On a recent post on the Marathon Moms blog on Runner's World, Sarah said she was running for the other Marathon Mom, Dimity, who has a stress fracture in her heel and can't run for six weeks.
Marilyn, my mother-in-law, recently fell down some stairs and broke her collar bone and her wrist in two places. She's ok, but she's out of commission for six to eight weeks. She's lucky it wasn't worse.
Anyhow, Marilyn, my run this morning was for you. I kicked butt and ran through the pain until I couldn't feel it anymore. It was a great run. Hopefully my good-feeling vibes travelled all the way to you today.
And as a side note, I saw my gynecologist for my annual exam (yep that's fun) and told her I had shin splints from running. She suggested swimming, and then cycling. When I said no I don't think so she said...you guessed it... "I hate running." It was deja vu all over again.
Daily Running Log: 2 miles, 12:11 m/m, on the treadmill - it was REALLY foggy this morning so I opted to stay inside where I could see where I was running.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Another Saturday, Another Long Run
Today was Saturday, which meant I had a long run today.
I woke up at 4:00 am. I don't know why I woke up so early, but I had a difficult time getting back to sleep. At 5:00 am, my 5 year old son decided he couldn't sleep anymore. Usually we make him stay in his room until 6:00, but there was really no point this morning, as he would keep me awake anyway.
We headed downstairs and I put a Yu-Gi-Oh DVD in for him to watch. (I feel really old because I just don't get that show.) I had a bagel and a cup of coffee. I get a little anxious about the long runs and today was no exception. I was tired and cranky and didn't feel like running at all. And it was FREEZING in our house. Somehow the air conditioning had been turned on full blast. So putting on shorts and a tank top was not appealing at the moment; I eventually had to go outside just to warm up.
I did make it to the high school where we start the run. I met one of my new running friends and she could tell my heart was not in it this morning. Today she had to do seven miles for the first time. I was trying to decide how many I should do; my shin splint situation was getting me depressed and I didn't have a clue what I should be running now.
It was very humid and almost 70 degrees at 7:00 am. As usual I let everyone go ahead of me and I brought up the rear. For some reason everyone seemed to be in a hurry - everyone blew by me pretty quickly. I think it was just my mood dragging me down.
After a mile or so I caught up with my friend and we chatted the next 5 miles. The time passed pretty quickly but we were going pretty slowly. My legs were sore and I was sweating like crazy. We marveled at how the others could move so quickly, and keep it up for so long. Some of these people had just started running a few months ago.
At mile 5 I told her I wasn't going to go 7 miles all the way with her; I was stopping at 6. I was tired, and my legs were especially tired. I think after I made this decision I got a second wind, and I told her I was going to kick it in and just get the mile over with. I picked up the pace and it felt SOOO GOOD! I started passing people and didn't feel anything in my legs (I think they were numb by this time) and made it back to the high school pretty quickly. What a rush!
After a little while two of my running buddies made it back. We hung out for a while drinking Gatorade and chatting runner girl talk. We all took off our shoes and compared our feet, since everyone apparently had different foot issues and two of us had new shoes. We talked about how to find shorts that don't cause chafing on the thighs, chafing so bad with a sports bra that blood was soaking through one woman's shirt (not me!), and using red nail polish to cover up black toenails.
By this time I had cheered up. I was having such a good time I didn't realize I was standing out there chatting for at least 45 minutes! When I got home my son asked where I had been and my husband was about to call me on the cell phone. I was just hanging out with my new runner girl friends, I said.
As for my shin splints, I have decided that I will stop paying for PT after the next Tuesday session. If what Joe said was true, I just need to strengthen my muscles so they won't be too worn out, and they can just give me exercises for that. Nevertheless, because I'm bowlegged, my lower leg muscles will be fatigued after a run, probably no matter how strong they are. I think I just have to live with a certain amount of pain. The pain is not debilitating, and it is not making anything worse in my legs and won't cause any other injuries as long as I don't overdo it. There was a woman who was talking with us who had a much worse condition (arthritis I think) and she ran the half marathon. She was talking about having to slide down the stairs on her butt the next day. (I told her the secret of walking down the stairs backwards). I probably could have done the race and been in a little better shape than her (maybe); after a few more months of work, I should be in much better shape to run the next race.
All in all I had a good run today. I'll probably be in pain for the next few days, but I will tell myself that my legs are getting stronger, and I am doing the next race no matter what, so there's no point in being depressed or angry. I just gotta do it.
Now I gotta go ice and veg while watching Alias.
Daily Running Log: 5.86 miles on the bike trail. 12:30 m/m pace.
I woke up at 4:00 am. I don't know why I woke up so early, but I had a difficult time getting back to sleep. At 5:00 am, my 5 year old son decided he couldn't sleep anymore. Usually we make him stay in his room until 6:00, but there was really no point this morning, as he would keep me awake anyway.
We headed downstairs and I put a Yu-Gi-Oh DVD in for him to watch. (I feel really old because I just don't get that show.) I had a bagel and a cup of coffee. I get a little anxious about the long runs and today was no exception. I was tired and cranky and didn't feel like running at all. And it was FREEZING in our house. Somehow the air conditioning had been turned on full blast. So putting on shorts and a tank top was not appealing at the moment; I eventually had to go outside just to warm up.
I did make it to the high school where we start the run. I met one of my new running friends and she could tell my heart was not in it this morning. Today she had to do seven miles for the first time. I was trying to decide how many I should do; my shin splint situation was getting me depressed and I didn't have a clue what I should be running now.
It was very humid and almost 70 degrees at 7:00 am. As usual I let everyone go ahead of me and I brought up the rear. For some reason everyone seemed to be in a hurry - everyone blew by me pretty quickly. I think it was just my mood dragging me down.
After a mile or so I caught up with my friend and we chatted the next 5 miles. The time passed pretty quickly but we were going pretty slowly. My legs were sore and I was sweating like crazy. We marveled at how the others could move so quickly, and keep it up for so long. Some of these people had just started running a few months ago.
At mile 5 I told her I wasn't going to go 7 miles all the way with her; I was stopping at 6. I was tired, and my legs were especially tired. I think after I made this decision I got a second wind, and I told her I was going to kick it in and just get the mile over with. I picked up the pace and it felt SOOO GOOD! I started passing people and didn't feel anything in my legs (I think they were numb by this time) and made it back to the high school pretty quickly. What a rush!
After a little while two of my running buddies made it back. We hung out for a while drinking Gatorade and chatting runner girl talk. We all took off our shoes and compared our feet, since everyone apparently had different foot issues and two of us had new shoes. We talked about how to find shorts that don't cause chafing on the thighs, chafing so bad with a sports bra that blood was soaking through one woman's shirt (not me!), and using red nail polish to cover up black toenails.
By this time I had cheered up. I was having such a good time I didn't realize I was standing out there chatting for at least 45 minutes! When I got home my son asked where I had been and my husband was about to call me on the cell phone. I was just hanging out with my new runner girl friends, I said.
As for my shin splints, I have decided that I will stop paying for PT after the next Tuesday session. If what Joe said was true, I just need to strengthen my muscles so they won't be too worn out, and they can just give me exercises for that. Nevertheless, because I'm bowlegged, my lower leg muscles will be fatigued after a run, probably no matter how strong they are. I think I just have to live with a certain amount of pain. The pain is not debilitating, and it is not making anything worse in my legs and won't cause any other injuries as long as I don't overdo it. There was a woman who was talking with us who had a much worse condition (arthritis I think) and she ran the half marathon. She was talking about having to slide down the stairs on her butt the next day. (I told her the secret of walking down the stairs backwards). I probably could have done the race and been in a little better shape than her (maybe); after a few more months of work, I should be in much better shape to run the next race.
All in all I had a good run today. I'll probably be in pain for the next few days, but I will tell myself that my legs are getting stronger, and I am doing the next race no matter what, so there's no point in being depressed or angry. I just gotta do it.
Now I gotta go ice and veg while watching Alias.
Daily Running Log: 5.86 miles on the bike trail. 12:30 m/m pace.
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