a very long post...how april vacation ended up...(love that dirty water)

Well. This has been quite a week.

On Monday, after writing about how much I love watching the marathon and someday hope to run it myself...we all know what happened. I haven't lived in Boston for several years now, but I did live there for several years and still live nearby. I know and love that city so well. I know every neighborhood, and probably almost every street. That stretch of Boylston Street is (was?) my very favorite spot from which to view the Boston Marathon. Seeing those runners approach the finish line was so very magical and inspiring to me. Marathon Day, also Patriots' Day, is something unique to Boston. It's a special, happy day for Bostonians. The atmosphere in Boston on Marathon Day is one of happiness, support, love, and respect. It's about people from a hundred countries running together in an historic race, one of the world's most elite. It's about spectators, from all walks of life, coming together on the streets to have fun together and cheer on the runners. It's a good day. It represents good things. In a world where we are so often divided, this is an event that brings people together. The spectators cheer for all the runners, from the fastest elite to those struggling to crest Heartbreak Hill and make their way to that downtown finish line. It is so uplifting and so much fun to be a part of. I have described this every year on my blog, so it's not that this event has led me to wax poetic about something I've never cared much about in the past. This is truly a special day and one of my favorite days of the year. It's hard to believe that such a positive, unifying event was interrupted the way it was. There are people who will never see, or hear, or walk, or breathe again. There are people who have months of suffering ahead of them as they learn to live without limbs. There are even more who will be haunted by the trauma they witnessed or experienced.

Today the images and video of two suspects were released. It is scary to see pictures of men walking down a street I know well, ready to kill and maim as many unsuspecting and innocent people as they can. Terrorism takes place all over the world every day. It's all really, really bad stuff. I am someone who believes (with very little exception- acute public safety situations, self defense, euthanasia...) that a human does not have the right to take another human's life. It is simply wrong. I don't care who's doing the killing or why. With that said, this particular event is especially difficult to think about because it took place in a place I love, on a day I love, in the city I love. I feel sadness and disappointment when I think about people being hurt or killed in any circumstance, but today I felt something different. Looking at those men, I felt anger. Not that aggressive, vindictive eye-for-an-eye anger I've seen (luckily only in small doses) on the internet in the last few days. That won't get us anywhere good. It only brings us to their level. But I am angry at them.

Watching those men on video, I wonder what on earth they were thinking. Why did they do it? How could they plan this? Talk about it? How could they go through with it? What did they do after they dropped off those bags? Did they go home? Did they turn on the tv to watch the results of their handiwork? Where do they live? On a street I know? Where are they now? Did they think they'd get away with it? On a day when video and security cameras were everywhere? When will they be caught? Soon, I hope. It's an uneasy feeling, knowing they're out there somewhere. Did they go on with their usual lives today? Did they go to work, or school? Go to the grocery store? Order delivery? More questions keep coming to mind. I want to be inside their heads, to understand.

Needless to say, Monday's events put me a bit off kilter for the week. On top of that, Chris was gone all week for an international business trip. He's coming home today, and I'm hoping he won't have trouble landing in Boston with the crazy security, and military and police presence that must be at the airport. On top of that, Celia came down with a stomach bug on Tuesday evening and was up all night throwing up. Luckily we were at my parents' house and my poor mom was up with her all night while I slept with Henry. Pita spent the night sleeping/throwing up in a chair in the living room, and finally lay on floor with her pillow and blanket and was sleeping there, poor little thing. Wednesday afternoon she hadn't thrown up again, so we drove home. The kids were both really good. We played outside, had dinner, did baths, and I put them to bed. Celia was still sick but had perked up a little.

On Thursday Henry went to daycare, which was amazing. I didn't want him to miss a whole week there since he already had a week off recently. This gave Celia and me a much needed day to rest and spend together. When we got home from leaving Henry, Pita lay on the couch to watch a show and ended up falling asleep and napping for a long time.

While Celia slept I was able to do meal planning and clean the house. I opened all the new windows to let some fresh air in. Celia seemed to feel much better after sleeping some more, and we went outside before lunch. Outside was just what we needed. The week had mentally exhausted me. We did some gardening, went in for lunch, and went back outside again. Celia played and helped me garden a little. She was definitely feeling much better. I did some watering and planted peas. It's hard to be too sad or stressed out when you're out in the fresh air and working in the garden. That was good. We went inside and Pita played while I took a shower.

Afternoon snack time. Almost every day I have coffee and Pita has a little snack. She always looks forward to it, and as soon as Henry's napping she asks if we can have our afternoon snack. 

We went out to get peat pots and I ended up getting broccoli and strawberry plants. Then we picked up Henry and went home to do play time, dinner, and bedtime. (Off topic, but- it's amazing how easy things are with just Celia now that she's at this age. I can actually get stuff done and take showers and everything, and we have fun together. Henry is at a fun age right now and he's so cute, but I kind of can't wait for him to be a little older because life will just be so much easier.)

We sent Daddy some pictures, too.

This was supposed to be vacation week, but I am drained. Vacations like these are for the birds. I'm glad it's over, glad I had help this week, will be relieved when my husband is home, and look forward to a good weekend with us all together.

(Edit: I wrote this last night. Early this morning we found out who the terrorists are, and there was more violence and a chase and search through an area of the city I know very well. The images on the tv are images from neighborhoods in which I've lived and streets I've walked. It will be another post in itself...)

marathon anniversary

Hey guys! I almost forgot about this, but guess what I was doing on this day last year? Running a marathon!

It made me a little sad to read this post and know that I haven't run for such a long time, and that I'll be starting from square one with my running after having the baby. But of course having a new little baby to take care of will be pretty great, and he will be more than worth the time off from running. I'll have many years to marathon to my heart's content someday.

new running shoes, and how I eat an entire bunch of kale in one sitting

Quite some time ago, Dr. Dreamboat said I needed new running shoes with more of a curved last. The shoes I had weren't ideal for my feet. (By the way, you really should read all the Dr. Dreamboat posts. It's one of the great love stories of all time.) Well, I'm happy to say that it's time for me to visit the Dreamboat again. Yippee! I'm due for new orthotics and it would be good to get them in time for warm weather running. The only problem with planning my next Dreamboat date is that I never got the shoes he recommended. I wanted to, but I was halfway through marathon training and very attached to my Nike Vomero 4s. Dr. Dreamboat had already scolded me a couple of times, so I knew I had to get new shoes before I made an orthotics appointment. Today I had my chance. I made the long drive to the running store where Dreamboat's patients get a discount, and came home with a pair of Gel Nimbus shoes. Henceforth, they will be called The Nimbi. They're just about as cushy as my old Vomeros, and hopefully curved enough for Dr. Dreamboat's liking.

BEHOLD! The Nimbi.

I'll bet you've been wondering what kinds of compulsive displayed-by-the-register purchases runners make. They're ones like this:

Could use another visit to the car wash.

On the way home I stopped for several other errands. Whole Foods was on the way home: a great excuse to stop for organic kale (the only place I can find it). I got home, ripped up that kale and stuck it in the oven for kale chips.

I had a big bowl while calling to make an orthotics appointment with Dr. Dreamboat. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go inspect my toes in preparation.

the new year ahead

I ended the new year, and will start the new one tomorrow, with a nice crisp morning run.

Every year I shy away from running outdoors when temperatures suddenly drop to the 20s and 30s, and snow and ice start taking over the roads. But every winter I finally get out there and get back in the game. I'm happy to say that it just happened over this vacation. It's just a mental shift to get used to running in cold weather. With the right clothing, no big deal. That cold, fresh outdoor air is invigorating when you're spending most of your time inside.

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. It seems that most of the time they're not met. Smoke and mirrors, I tell you! And, if I want to make a change in my life I'll just do it whenever it makes sense to. Making a big deal out of it at the new year isn't my style. It is nice to start a new year with a good run, a positive outlook for the future, and maybe a plan or a list of things to accomplish over the course of the year. It's also interesting, now that we have Celia, to think about all the things we've done and how much life has changed in just one year. Celia has grown out of babyhood into a bright, happy little girl (although if you ask her, she will tell you "I a BIG girl!"). Chris and I have grown even more comfortable in our roles as parents. We finally feel like we know what we're doing (most of the time), and we're confident in our style of parenting. As Celia has grown older and as we developed a good schedule for her, we were able to use our time in a more balanced way. As wonderful as it is, it's also hard being the mother of an infant. It's hard to retain your sense of self when your identity is wrapped up in someone else's. With a baby attached to you almost constantly, there isn't even time to pee by yourself, let alone pursue a hobby. This year Chris and I had more time to ourselves. He spent a lot of time involved in business school (poor guy- hopefully his free time will be more fun next year). I trained for a marathon! But we also came to accept and love that we will have a little person following our every move, clinging to us, and needing our attention most of the time. This was a year of big change for our little family.

I have a feeling 2011 will be full of even more changes...

A lot of things are in flux right now. Chances are, I wouldn't meet all of my specific goals if I set out to reach them this year alone. Chris will earn his MBA this spring! He may start at a new job. His hours may change. I may lose the luxury of having him at home in the evenings if his new job carries a lot of responsibility. We may move. We may renovate our current house. I may get pregnant. We may even be a family of four by 2012.

This year, I think I should be able to:

• Continue running at whatever level makes sense.
• Continue my other favorite past time of reading pretty much anything I can get my eyes on: fiction and nonfiction, books, mags, newpapers, blogs. 
• Run some races.
• Continue this blog. It's become so much: a journal, photo album, baby book, runner's log, creative outlet, and even a way to meet and become friends with new people. 
• Continue the progress I've made with my change to a vegan diet: keep finding new recipes, and learn more about how to find things to eat when I'm not eating at home. 
• Do some fun new things with Celia, especially over the summer.
• Be a better and more patient wife to my Blub. I have come far with patience, having a toddler. The problem is, Blub is not a toddler and I have slightly higher expectations for him. Regardless of my expectations, who he is (and the fact that he is a man with a man brain- no offense guys, we're just wired differently) isn't going to change and that's okay. So I might as well try to be more patient and less exasperated and we'll all be happier.

The following are things I won't accomplish in the next year, or even the next several years. This is more a list of things I'd like to do someday. 

• Take a photography class or two. I have grown to love taking pictures, and I think I have a good eye that could be developed further if I actually learned how to take good pictures.
• Run another marathon.
• Run several more marathons.
• Run marathons much faster.
• Travel to fun and far away places to run marathons.

Do you see a trend here? ;)

• Get a custom design for the blog.
• Get back to singing in a really good choral group (did you know I was a singer? I had to leave my group when Pita was born. Someday I hope to return). 
• Get back to playing the piano. This is nearly impossible with a Pita underfoot. 
• Maybe someday do something more with writing than just the blog. 

It's a tall order; that's why I don't play to complete these things any time soon! I sure do have a wide variety of interests though.

It has been a good year. I honestly have no idea what 2011 will have in store for us, but I can't wait to find out.

Now if you'll excuse me, Chris is blowing dust off our champagne flutes and popping open a bottle we've had sitting around for about four years. I guess you could say we're not big champagne drinkers. We've had it chilling in a cooking pot.

Happy New Year everyone!

a thank you to my fans

Dear truckers,

I'd like to take a moment to thank you for your unwavering and quite overwhelming support of my running. Those honks, catcalls and thumbs up really make me feel like an athlete. It's so, so nice to know that you appreciate my running form and speedy pace. I sure can count on you to cheer me on wherever I'm running. You may have heard somewhere (though who knows where, it's just silly) that women don't appreciate this sort of attention. Rest assured that this is not the case. We absolutely love it. There's nothing better than having the jolting, heart stopping blast of a tractor trailor horn bring to your attention that a complete stranger has been ogling your ass.

You probably honk at a lot of women in your travels, so let me leave you with something to jog your memory as to just who I am. Remember that time you honked or catcalled at a runner, then looked back through your side mirror (you always have to get one last look, don'tcha?) and saw that runner holding high a special one-fingered greeting? A friendly, neighborly greeting of appreciation?

That was me.

fall fun

We have really had a fantastic weekend, mainly because Celia has been in such a great mood. She's a lot of fun these days.

On Saturday morning I went for a quick run- 3 miles worth of speed work. That was weird, by the way. It was a good workout while it lasted, but runs under 50 minutes seem like nothing to me now. After my run we got ready for some errands. I got a great deal on a warmer fall coat and a pair of mittens for Celia. This morning she tolerated wearing one mitten for approximately ten seconds...

The rest of the day was spent playing with blocks,

crawling like doggies,

doing lots of cooking,

and playing outside in the leaves and climbing on rocks. I got a lot of cleaning done, and got to go to sleep last night on clean sheets and under a freshly washed and line-dried quilt. So nice!

This morning I had a nice 5 mile run. It was cold enough that I broke out the running tights for the first time this season. I don't mind needing the tights or being a little chilly, but when I have to start strapping on my Yak Trax in a few months, the cold weather running won't be quite as fun!

We got a lot done around the house today, working on re-arranging and making some plans for the living room. And of course, there was a lot of play time. Celia frequently reminds us that she is a "big girl" now, and insists on sitting in a regular chair instead of in her booster. She's wanting to do a lot of things by herself these days. Yesterday she told Chris she was a big girl, and then said "Daddy big boy". That was nice of her.

Tonight we had maple-butternut squash-apple casserole for dinner. It was really good, but a little sweet so I'd definitely pair it with a savory side. 

Busy week ahead, as usual. I need to get in more practice at painting Celia's face for Halloween. Tomorrow I have to pick up my watch from the mall, and we have various other to-dos as well as some fun activities in store this week. I'll also be sharing our upcoming and in-progress home projects soon!

running, post-marathon style

Now that the marathon's over, I have to come up with some sort of running schedule. On one hand it's nice that I don't have to get runs in on certain days, at certain distances. On the other hand, it's strange that I don't have anything specific to do. I don't always have the motivation to go for a run and I feel lazy.

My first post-marathon run was on Thursday. I started out to run an easy 4-5 miles, but half a mile in I decided to make it a shorter, faster run. I've been thinking about running a 5k or two this fall, and wanted to gauge what my time would be like. It seems silly, but with all this slow endurance training, I've been so unaccustomed to fast running that a short little 5k seems intimidating. So, I picked up the pace and ended up hitting 5 kilometers at 26:44. Not too bad considering the very hilly terrain, and that the first half mile was at 10:00 pace. So, I'm a bit more confident that I could run an okay 5k race now.

If I want to run a few short races this fall, that means I get to come up with a schedule :D. Luckily I already have a pretty amazing base to work from. Here's what I'm thinking, off the top of my head:

Thursdays: Long run (probably only 7-10 miles, although I may find myself in the mood for longer runs)
Fridays: Cross train during Celia's nap, if I'm in the mood (bet this will never happen!)
Saturdays: Speedwork
Sundays: Easy short-mid distance run
Tuesdays: Mid-distance run, maybe with some fartlek thrown in

The fun part is that since I'm not spending hours and hours of time just getting mileage in, I can throw in new and different workouts whenever I feel like it. The only thing I'm scared of is losing all the fitness I've gained in the last five months. If I'm not running long distances, I want to challenge myself in other ways like by increasing speed and trying different types of workouts. So, let's see how this all goes!

hartford marathon recap

Wow, where to start? This will be a long post.

Let's begin with Friday. Chris and I went to the marathon expo to pick up my race bib and walk around. It was so exciting. The city was full of marathon-related signs, banners, and even sidewalk decals.

We picked up my bib and walked around the expo. Then we walked down to Bushnell park, where the start and finish areas were. Here I am at the finish area.

We chatted with another runner there who was running Hartford as his 32nd marathon. He's running one in every state. Boy did I feel like a shmuck after that! Compared to most of the other runners we spotted, I felt like I was completely out of shape. Oh well. They give me something to aspire to. Hartford is a very small marathon, so I was really at the slow end of the field! Not many other first timers.

We took one last picture with my bib in front of the expo, and then drove part of the course as we left.

After the expo it was time to get my things organized. Everything I needed for the morning was put in one place.

At this point I was starting to feel jittery and overwhelmed. Stretching and a trip to the drug store for a couple magazines helped. We were staying at Chris's parents' house, so we had dinner with the family and I spent the evening just trying to relax and drink plenty of water.

Saturday Morning:
At 5:30 am I got up and started getting ready. I had been awake for a while. Had some water and plenty of coffee, and packed a bagel and banana for the road. It was very hard to get food down because I was nervous. At the race, there were people everywhere, constant announcements on the loudspeaker, serious sensory overload. We made our way to the start area and Chris waited with me until just a few minutes before the start.

At this point I started getting a bit choked up. I could not believe this day had come, and that I was actually about to run a marathon.  It was awesome.

Because it's a small marathon, the start really wasn't too crazy. Not much jostling, and not too crowded once things got moving. It was still much bigger than any race I've been part of in the past. For the first few miles I'd say I was kind of in a daze. I was trying to settle into my pace, which was hard with people everywhere and all running at different paces. I was planning to start slow, but ended up running slower than I wanted to at points in the first several miles. It took a while to focus mentally and stay on a good pace. I also got distracted by a comment from another runner (who was completely inappropriately dressed) as I took off my throw-away gloves and arm warmers: "Looks like you overdressed." Um, no...

I felt good for the first ten miles. By around mile 14 my legs were feeling a little tired- more tired than I wanted them too. This worried me a bit, but a quick bathroom stop and a gel helped. I was also looking forward to seeing my little cheering section at mile 16. Chris was there with Celia, our parents, and one of my good friends with her boyfriend. Sure enough, seeing them gave me a little mental boost. Celia was so cute, calling to me and clapping. Mile 17 marked the turnaround where the course headed back toward the finish. I got to pass my family one more time at mile 18:

Personal cheering section.

Heading out of a water stop and past my family.

The next few miles went pretty well, though I wish I had kept my pace just a little faster. From mile 19 to 24 there were hardly any spectators on the course, and that made things very quiet and probably slowed me down a little. I was still feeling good though. At mile 24 my legs were tired but I knew without a doubt I was finishing. I picked up the pace for the next mile and just kept repeating to myself, "I can run two miles. I can run two miles." At mile 25 we were entering downtown Hartford. It was getting noisier. I took off with an amazing finishing kick. My last two miles ended up being my fastest and I finished at an 8:30 pace, fueled by adrenaline I'm sure!

My goal was to finish in under five hours. My time was 5:02. Missed it by two minutes! Not bad though, being my first marathon on minimal training. I had an issue with my Garmin early in the race, and my time/mileage ended up being off on it. So unfortunately I didn't know exactly what finishing time I was headed for. I just knew I was close to 5:00. If I had known, I could have made up those two minutes and more. A lesson for next time... Crossing that finish line was still amazing, no matter the time.

Things I'm taking away from this:

• I ran 26.2 miles, you guys!!
• The most important thing is that I finished strong, healthy, and feeling good.
• I ran as smart a race as I could have, considering that I'd never run a marathon before and had the technical problem with my Garmin.
• Drinking a cup (or two) of water and a cup of Gatorade at every water stop worked well. Having a straw for the water stops was fantastic. So quick and efficient. 
• Carrying one water bottle was also nice to get a little extra liquid in the first several miles. 
• A gel an hour seemed to work well. 
• I could have run faster. I still have more to learn about controlling my pace for long races, and about when I can push myself harder. When I think about how I probably could have handled a faster pace, I sort of kick myself. But, it was a learning experience and finishing the race (and not being last) was my main goal.
• While I could have kept a faster pace, it was probably smart not to. I've never run 26.2. I wanted to keep my heart rate under control, because if that became an issue I would have had a lot more trouble finishing. As a result of my controlled pace, I was breathing easy the whole time. Whenever I passed someone wheezing, walking, or receiving medical attention on the course, I was reminded of how well I was doing.
• I never hit "the wall" because I was well-prepared, ran a smart pace, and took care of myself.
• I need to remind myself that although my "net pace" based on my 5:02 time was around 11:30, this time included bathroom and water stops. My actual running pace was 10:30-11:00. There were a couple of instances when I lost time and could do nothing about it (like when I was approaching a port-o-potty and a spectator- who saw me coming!!- still went in before me and made me wait!). 
• Now I know that next time I need to push the pace to make up for any time lost. 
• I also know to make sure my Garmin is functioning properly so I actually know when I need to make up for lost time :D.

I think I may have the bug. You know, like someday I might be one of those people other people think are mentally ill because they're "addicted" to marathoning?

More than one person has brought up to me that people equate marathoning with childbirth. Usually in a negative way, like one is even worse than the other. To be honest, it's all mental. If you expect something to feel awful and doubt your ability to handle it, it will probably be as awful as you're expecting. If you have confidence in yourself and expect that same event to be a positive and amazing life-changing experience, it will be. If only I could get more people to believe that... I was thinking about this today because my friend asked me about it yesterday and I hadn't had enough time to process things to give an answer. Now I need to tell her: Neither experience was worse, or better. They were different and mostly incomparable. I prepared for them well and got out of them what I put in. There is one thing in common that really stands out, when I compare this marathon with my natural childbirth experience:

It was one of the absolute BEST things I have EVER done.

For the rest of the fall I'll be having fun with some shorter, speedier workouts and hopefully with a couple more races. Because of certain logistics I have a feeling my next marathon won't be for a while, but I can't wait!

It was a great day and truly a dream come true. Although, next year I may be telling you my life's dream is to run a sub-4:30 marathon... ;)

one day away

I've been thinking about how this marathon thing started. I always wanted to run a marathon, since I was a high school runner. Every year I watch the Boston Marathon and long to run it myself. Being one of the world's most elite marathons, not just anyone can run Boston. There are some spots for charity runners, but everyone else has to qualify to enter the race. Qualifying is not easy. It is a big deal to BQ. Still, every April I watch and get a little misty eyed as I think how amazing it would be to run Boston myself. I always thought that maybe someday I would at least run a marathon, even if I never got fast enough for Boston. That day would be far away, because training takes a lot of time. Last April I wrote this post about Boston. I prattled on about how someday, maybe I would fulfill my dream of running a marathon.

The night I wrote that post, I started thinking more about that. I realized there might never be an ideal point in my life when I would have all the time in the world for training. Or, that point would be several years away when we were done having children. I started entertaining the idea of running a marathon now. I looked at training programs online and decided it could be doable. Then I said to Chris, "I think I want to run a marathon". "When?" he said. "Well, I'm thinking about next fall." I explained my reasoning that there was no point in putting it off when with some effort I could get a first marathon under my belt now. I may have shed a few tears of emotion. How could he say no to his wife fulfilling her life's dream? :)

If I hadn't written that post, about running a marathon being my dream, I probably wouldn't have gone down this path at all. I'd still be sitting around wondering if it would ever happen.

In June, I signed up for Hartford. I wrote this post about it. I was so, so excited, and nervous. What had I gotten myself into? Yes, it would be a dream come true, but could I really do it? Could my body handle all that running? How would I have time to run forty or fifty miles a week?

Six hundred or so miles later, I'm one day away. When you mark the passage of time by training weeks and miles run, time sure flies. I have loved (almost) every minute. Sometimes doubt does enter my mind. But, I am awfully stubborn and determined when I put that mind to something. I'm awfully lucky, really. I have never failed at any of the big goals I've set for myself. If I put my mind to it, it will get done. And, you know? It's a pretty darn good way to live. If you have confidence in yourself and in your body, and are willing to work as hard as you need to to reach a personal goal, chances are you'll succeed. So, thinking about my track record makes me confident that I will absolutely finish this marathon. I'll finish in the amount of time I want to, with a smile on my face and tears of happiness in my eyes.

The tears are already coming just thinking about that finish line, so I can't waste them.

Tomorrow I'm running a marathon.

scattered

Today I worked a very busy morning with two evaluations. I packed up my files to bring home and left right on time because I had a lot to do. I stopped to pick up a couple things for the marathon, and went home to do some housework, go for a short run, and start packing.

Today's run was my last before the marathon! I still want to do some stretching tonight. My run today was an easy 3 miles, and I took an old familiar route that reminded me of how far I've come since I started training. That route used to be a bit of a challenge for me.

Packing for the weekend is a bit of a job, and I'm feeling scattered. I always end up making a list, but then thinking of something else to pack and writing it down in a random place. Between packing my own things and Celia's, it's a lot. Currently there are three lists I'm trying to work from. Most of the things I'm packing aren't all that exciting, but I thought I'd share what's in my running bag for the big day.

• Mocha flavored gels (the only kind I can stomach, and they're actually delicious! Clif brand)
• Amphipod waist pack (for gels)
• Handheld water bottle (I may or may not use it)
• A straw, cut short (for easy fluid intake at water stations)
• Shorts, singlet, socks, hat, gloves, arm warmers
• Prostretch
• Compression socks
• Extra safety pins
• Gary Garmin

Seems like a lot of stuff for a little jog.

I still have a lot left to do, so it's time to run. No pun intended.

marathon ready? and a perfect fall day

This morning was my last long run, only 8 miles, before the marathon next Saturday. I can't believe it's only a week away. I covered the 8 miler relatively pain free, but my foot did start bothering me after the run. Still not sure how a marathon will go, but hopefully Dr. Dreamboat will be able to help. Weather conditions were ideal this morning: sunny and in the 50s. I can only hope for a repeat next weekend. Nothing like a cool weather run on a quiet, shady, leaf and pine needle-strewn route with the smell of wood fires in the air!

I wore the same type of clothing, gloves, and arm warmers I'll wear next Saturday. I'm planning to wear my fuel belt for the marathon to carry my gels and some extra liquid.


Our town is celebrating its 275th anniversary and had an Old Home Day today. We went and walked around, and ran around in the grass playing with Celia. There was live music, and Celia loved clapping and would shout "Hooray!" when there was applause. On the way back to the car we told Celia she had to hold our hands. At one point she let go and walked with her hands clasped together. She wanted to hold her own hand!! Oh the cuteness.

While Celia napped this afternoon, Chris did homework and I cleaned and took care of meal planning for the week. Then before dinner we went to the playground. Celia is in that toddler stage of loving to run and climb just about everything. She can now negotiate the entire preschooler-sized playground structure all by herself! We took a few videos of her climbing, going down slides, and through a tunnel. It tickled me to see her climbing up and going down all by herself because she's so small, you wouldn't think she'd be able to.

Now we are home and I'm making a creation of my own for dinner: Acorn squash stuffed with brown and wild rice with salt, pepper, Herbes de Provence, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I think I'll add some Earth Balance and brown sugar to the squash before stuffing, too. We had the squash from our CSA and I wanted to make a main dish out of it. Looking forward to a nice cool, cozy fall evening!

20 mile...

...success!

I wrote that word last night before my run even began. I've found that smart planning and positive thinking are the most important things when it comes to long runs. It worked.

When Celia and I got up this morning, I noticed the beginning of a spectacular sunrise out the window. Celia settled herself in her chair with some milk and a blankie. She holds the blanket up in front of herself and backs into the chair so the blanket covers her body- so cute! 

I ran outside to take a few pictures. This sunrise got the day off to a pretty good start.

I kept my pace pretty slow today. This allowed me to maintain a steady pace, and then pick it up a bit for the last few miles. It was also manageable enough that I could have run, oh, say another 6.2 miles at the end ;). My route was very hilly, so I'm confident that I can manage the relatively flat marathon at a pace at least as fast. I divided my run into three out-and-back routes from home. I ran 9 miles, stopped to get new water bottles, ran another 8 mile route, and then passed by home again (without stopping) for a final 3 mile loop. This provided me with nice mental breaks. Running a few short to mid-distance runs (that just happen to be in a row) somehow seems easier than going out to run 20 miles.

The weather was on my side this morning. It was cloudy and cool. I was careful to fuel and hydrate properly. My last attempt at a 20-miler was probably ruined mainly by lack of fuel. I have since switched to gel (easier to stomach). Last night I had pasta with extra garlic bread for dinner. This morning, a bagel with sunflower seed butter and two cups of (my favorite ever!) pumpkin spice coffee. I went heavy on the liquids for the first half of my run, so I was very well hydrated. I took a gel every hour. I'm writing all of this down mainly as a record for myself, because three weeks from now I'll want to replicate what I did today. Essentially, I will do well if I fuel up, drink like a fish (do fish even actually drink?) and take enough gel. My only remaining question is about peeing. You see, when I'm on a long run I just squat and go at the roadside or behind some bushes. The roads I run on aren't busy, so it's easy to do this almost anywhere. It takes only seconds, and then I'm back to running. During the marathon, how will this go? Will I have to wait to find a port-o-potty and then wait in line for it, wasting a lot of time? Will anyone care if I veer off the course for a pee between parked cars or behind some trees? No idea. I will just have to wait and see.

It's 1:00. Three weeks from right now I'll have crossed the finish line at the marathon! Until then, it's time to taper. It will feel strange to cut back on mileage. It's even more odd to look at my planner and see no scheduled runs in the weeks following the marathon. What will I do with myself? Obviously I'll keep running and will even do some shorter races this fall, but it will be quite scaled back. Anyway, I'm in a great place with training. Injury free, have followed my training program almost exactly, and finally got in a 20-miler. Time now to enjoy the rest of the weekend.

apples!

This morning I had a relatively short 12 mile long run. It went really well. I kept the pace nice and slow, and was tired but still feeling good at the end. The tiredness was mainly from all the hills I ended up running. I tried out a new loop that I really liked, but it was very hilly and I ended up with a few long climbs. Sometimes I come across a hidden gem of a back road or view, just a few blocks away from a busy road or an area I know well. Somehow for all this time I've missed out on these places! Today I ended up on a new road that runs parallel to a busy route I take almost daily. This road was quiet, shaded by trees, and just beautiful. As I rounded a bend I came across a stretch of road surrounded by nothing but leafy trees. The only sounds were birds in the trees, until I heard running water. To the left, through the trees, I spotted it. A beautiful river sparkling in the sunshine, surrounded by waving grasses. To think I've never discovered this beautiful place to run until now!

Just around the corner is another one of my favorite running spots. Doesn't this look like a little gingerbread house?

And next to it is a lily pond.

We also went apple picking this weekend.

I've been looking forward to this because I thought Celia would love it. She did! She loved seeing all the people at the orchard (and even played peek a boo with complete strangers she spotted on the other side of an apple tree, calling "Hewwo!!").

 She loved seeing the farm trucks and tractors and seeing apples on the trees. We rode to the orchard in a tractor-pulled wagon.

Pita loved seeing apples on the trees.

She wanted to walk around and pick them all by herself.

When we got home I immediately made apple crisp. We have so many apples that I need to start baking! The bag we got was deceptively small looking.

Last night I printed some pictures from our day and made Celia a story book about apple picking. Now she can read the story and talk about everything she did. She loves this book- especially the pictures of her with Mommy and Daddy! This project only took about 15 minutes, once I had the pictures and had gathered paper, glue, and a marker.

Making a little book based on an experience is a great way to promote language skills: how to tell a story using temporal markers (e.g. first, then), sequencing and describing events, answering questions about what happened, and even vocabulary. Celia learned new words like "orchard", and we used descriptive language as we talked about everything we saw. The apples were red and crunchy; the tractor was noisy (and stinky, according to Celia- lots of exhaust!), the bag of apples was heavy. You could make your own little books to go along with any activity- even something simple like going grocery shopping. For babies, the book might be single words to go with each picture. For toddlers and preschoolers it can be more of a story. Older kids can help put the pictures in the right order and write the story.

I'm taking a little break from packing everyone's lunches for tomorrow. Time to get back to that before Pita wakes up from her nap!

20 mile fail

I've been awfully lucky to get through thirteen weeks of marathon training without injury and without missing a single long run mile- until today. I'm still injury free, but my 20 miler did not quite happen.

I hoped that missing a few runs because of the heat this week would put me at an advantage: nice fresh legs, plenty of energy. Unfortunately it seems to have worked against me instead. Things started off fine and the first 10 miles went well. By mile 12 my legs were already getting stiff and sore. Weird, since 12 miles is no big deal for me at this point. I pretty much battled my way through the next several miles, with some walking breaks. I think I might have done better with more nutrition, but my Shot Bloks weren't sitting well and I hardly ate any. Time to try some gels instead. Hitting the 20 mile mark was very important to me today, but there was no point in killing myself to get there. I'm not sure I could have completed the last two miles without walking much of them. So, I called it quits at 17.5 miles. Not shabby, but also not 20 miles. My legs feel as if they've taken a beating.

On one hand, I'm very disappointed. Hitting 20 miles would have been great for my training and even better for my confidence. I'll now worry that I'm not capable of marathon distance, or of the pace I've been planning on.

On the other hand, I'm well aware that I could use a reality check. Less than one percent of people run a marathon. The fact that I'm boo-hooing over finishing 17.5 miles instead of 20 is kind of silly. Plus, I probably got most of the physical benefit today that a 20-miler would have given me, as far as level of effort, use of glycogen, time spent running, etc. Plenty of marathons have been run without 20 mile training runs. Some runners never train that long (though most Americans do, I think). And- I have a chance to try again in two weeks. I just have to be smart about approaching the next 20-miler. It's my last long run before my taper, and an important one.

I'm picking myself up, brushing myself off, and moving on. There's no point in freaking out. Next week is a new training week, and I'm gonna rock it.

thirty-one, fun fun fun

Today was my birthday. It was pretty much a normal day, which was fine with me. Celia's gift to me was sleeping all night without a peep last night! She slept until 7:00 am, which gave me plenty of time to get up and have my breakfast before she woke up. I told her we were going to go to the store and she immediately gave me her own grocery list: "bread, yogurt, pie!" Haha. We went to my favorite grocery store, Trader Joe's. We did not get any pie. Poor kid. Then we headed home, had a snack, and my parents arrived for the day.

I went for a nice speedy 8-mile run. It has been raining here for three days and I'm looking forward to drier running weather, but the cool temperatures have been great. I've also noticed that I've gotten a lot faster in the last couple months. I'm still slow by many standards, but can easily run 8 miles at an 8:30-9:00 pace now, as opposed to 10:00-10:30 back in June. I'm still not sure what my goal marathon pace should be. Any runners have suggestions on that? How do I know how much to push my pace when I've never run a marathon?

After my run it was time for Celia's nap and we had this salad for lunch. It was good and I have leftovers for the rest of the week. This afternoon I did laundry and some cleaning, and made more spaghetti sauce to freeze for the winter. Unfortunately I didn't put a dent in all the organization I need to do to get ready for work. My brother and his girlfriend came over for dinner and birthday cake. His birthday is two days from now. And Chris brought me some chocolates and a bottle of wine when he came home from work.

Celia has been doing some pretty cute new things lately. Today she was singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" complete with the sound effects from her music class. She's also starting to understand some simple concepts of time. She knows that a minute is some length of time, and that when she hears "minute" it usually means waiting for something, or that something will happen soon. So now she tells me that she'll be back in a "minute" when she leaves the room.

long run recap

Aha! Great success!

My 18 miler today was a piece of freaking cake! I went into it with a new game plan, based on how last week's 17 mile run went. Based on my own experience and some reading I've been doing about how long runs should not be much longer than three hours, I decided that I was putting too much stress on my body by running so slowly on long runs. The slower my pace, the longer I run, and this could lead to unnecessary stress on my body that isn't going to help my training any. I made some changes based on this, and also changed a few other things.

• I increased my pace by 60-90 seconds compared to last week. This is a fairly drastic increase. I also ran negative splits (second half faster than the first), which really helped keep up my momentum. 
• I took brief walking breaks when my back and shoulders started tightening up. I would stretch while walking for a minute, then run again. Halfway through the run, I stopped for a minute to stretch my legs. These breaks completely prevented the issues I had with tight muscles causing terrible form at the end of last week's run. 
• I hydrated like crazy. And had to stop to pee four times in the first half of the run. I think this helped me a lot (the drinking, not the peeing). In addition to my fuel belt I now have a handheld bottle. I thought I had been hydrating enough on long runs, but now I know that even more is better.
• I ran one 9-mile loop twice. Having two even loops was a mental advantage, because I knew I was already halfway done when I finished the first one and stopped to refill my bottles. This route was also made up of very familiar roads that I knew I liked to run on. It also happened to be nasty dog free! Running a familiar route took away the uncertainty of not knowing how far I had to go on any given road, and allowed me to relax and enjoy the scenery without obsessively checking my Garmin.

All together, these factors allowed me to complete my run feeling strong, and without any shuffling or hunchbacking (nice vocab word, right?). I enjoyed most of it and didn't have to play any of the mind games I used to get through last week's run. Rather than struggling through the last three miles, my legs felt pretty good until about the last half mile. Even then, I was able to finish at a nice slow pace without my form getting terrible.

Although I completed last week's long run, I was nervous about having to run further because the last few miles were such a struggle. I was starting to wonder how I could possibly make it to 20 miles- or 26. But, today's run was so great that I'm feeling confident again. I won't be breaking any records, but with a smart strategy I can finish my first 20-miler in two weeks.

17 mile diary

It was below sixty degrees outside when I woke up this morning. This is the kind of running weather I've been waiting for! And, Celia slept all the way through the night from 7:30 to 6:30! The stage was set for a great long run. My route today consisted of a 6 mile loop and an 11 mile loop. I stopped at my car in between them to load up on Gatorade and water. The short story is that I didn't feel as fresh and fantastic as I could have, but I did run 17 miles without stopping and without walking breaks (except for about a minute at the car). I ran nice and slow, and this was definitely the key. I made sure to slow my pace even more than I usually do for a long run because this was such a long distance.

I'm often asked how I can possibly run such long distances and for such long periods of time, and what it feels like to run that far. First of all, I am not a fast runner right now. My goal is simply to build enough endurance to complete my first marathon, and enough speed to complete it without being the last person across the finish line. Actually, I do have a goal range in mind for a finishing time but probably won't discuss it until closer to the race. Anyway, the point I always make is that marathon training (or training for any distance) is all about gradually building endurance by gradually increasing mileage. If I'm smart about pacing, a long run doesn't get challenging until the very end. I always tell people that I'm amazed at what I've been able to do, and that now I can see how just about anyone who sets her mind to it can complete a marathon. This is the point at which the person I'm talking to starts blowing me off and insists that a marathon is an impossible feat for a normal person. This drives me nuts. Maybe some people feel uncomfortable or guilty because they don't exercise, and they make these comments to make themselves feel better? Are they expecting me to disclose some sort of "get fit quick" secret that makes it easy? It's almost as if people don't realize how amazing their bodies are, and don't care enough to find out. It takes mind games and a lot of brain power to get the body to do these amazing things, though. And to demonstrate that, I thought I'd take you through the highlights of today's run and show how it all went down.

2 miles: Just getting started, and I encounter my first barking dog of the day. No big deal. He goes completely crazy barking at me, but stays in his yard. I'm focusing on keeping my pace slow, which is tough when you know you have so many miles ahead of you. The slower I start off the faster I'll finish, because I won't kill myself running too fast and then crash.

3-6 miles: Seriously? More dogs? In short, I had five run-ins with unfriendly dogs by the time I'd completed the first 6 mile loop. I really, really try to like dogs, I do. It's just so difficult when there are so many owners who don't train their dogs (or maybe they do train them to bark at literally anything that goes by?), and subsequently, dogs that make my runs unpleasant. For the third time in so many weeks, I consider contacting the postal workers' union to establish an anti-dog alliance.

6.2 miles: At the car to fill my water bottles. Don't have tons of energy, but good to go for the next 11 miles as long as I keep up the steady pace.

7-13 miles: Smooth sailing through beautiful back roads. Nice and shady under the trees, sun shining, pretty houses and farms to look at. I pass a mother horse with a foal, and two cute little donkeys. At some point I start a countdown of miles to go. This is one of the mental games I play with myself to keep motivated. Passing the halfway point on a run is big. Then it's just a matter of ticking off the rest of the miles.

13.1 miles: Um, have I gone the wrong way? Seems like I've been on this road for a really long time. I pull out my directions (yes, when I take a new route on a run this long I need directions to remember where I'm going!), calculate how far it should be 'till the next turn, and luckily I'm right on track.

13.4 miles: I have another mile or so to go before hooking up with a familiar road to head back toward the car. Until then I'm still in uncharted territory. My legs are starting to feel a little stiff and tired, and I see an enormously steep hill rising up ahead of me. I do what I always do when encountering a challenge on a run: just keep running. I hate to use a well-known footwear company's slogan, but it's true. I just do it. I don't spend time worrying about whether I can, or thinking about how hard it is. I just run up that hill and before I know it, I'm at the top. It wasn't a big deal at all, because I didn't let myself think negatively about it.

13.7 miles: A dog greets me at the top of the hill, standing in his yard with his tail wagging. I'm pretty sure he smiled at me too. I consider approaching his owner to thank him for raising such a nice doggie. My lukewarm affection for dogs is restored as I remember that dog owners are the problem, not the dogs themselves. Then again, if I could just rid this part of the country of dogs...

14 miles: Things are going downhill now. Unfortunately, I'm still running a lot of uphill. My legs are really getting tired and my pace slows. I was hoping to finish the run at marathon pace, but I can't keep that up consistently. I settle for maintaining a reasonable long run pace. I remind myself that there are only three miles to go. I entertain myself by communicating my annoyance to passing drivers who don't slow down or give me space on the road. Won't go into any more detail on that one...

14.3 miles: The toilet brush I saw at the side of the road two weeks ago is still there. Oddly (well, not odd for me because I am odd), this is a small comfort. Something familiar, I suppose.

15 miles: I enter a world of hurt. Okay, it really wasn't that bad but I thought that would sound dramatic. My legs are just feeling stiff and sore, and I feel like I'm shuffling rather than running. Pace is still okay though. I try to improve my form a little, but it's tough to do because I'm getting fatigued. Only two miles to go! Each mile mark gives me a big mental boost at this point.

15.4 miles: About to head up another hill, and for the first time I consider walking. It would feel so good to just stop running. I know though, that walking will actually feel worse. Plus, why the heck would I stop and walk when I've just run over 15 miles? That would be crazy. What am I, a spineless wimp? Less than 2 miles to go! I can run 2 miles any time.

16 miles: Wow! Now I know for sure that I can do this. I may cover the last mile looking more like a shuffling hunchback than a marathoner, but I will run 17 miles today.

17 miles: Done, and it feels so good. I'm still a ways from the car, so I hobble down the street for a while longing for a drink of cold water. I don't even think about how far I've just run. Just happy to be finished.


Now after a shower and some food I'm feelin' good. My legs are stiff and sore, but nothing a little rest and stretching shouldn't take care of. And, now that I'm all cleaned up and rested I can think about how crazy it is that I just ran seventeen freaking miles!! Now I can start worrying about the 18 scheduled for next weekend...

15 miles, 100 motorcycles, and 1 mean dog

I got my long run in today! I'm still contagious and not completely better, but it's just the rash and blister thingies left. I got 14.7 miles in today, with some walking breaks. The last four miles were tough. My legs were like jello. Jello with tight spots in the hip flexors. How the heck am I going to run 16 in two weeks? I need to pace myself better.

So, my run was very...interesting. First, the motorcycle part. I was running along a nice winding country road when I heard some motorcycles. I figured it was probably, you know, five or so. I kept running and waited for them to go by. They did, except there were many more than just five. They kept coming and coming! They were coming from behind me, taking up the whole road to the point where I had to just stop and stand beside the road for safety. Very, very annoying. So I stood there, hands on my hips but not showing too much annoyance (because who knows how a hundred or so Hell's Angels react to someone being annoyed at their behavior), waiting to continue my run. There must have been 80-100 motorcycles. It lasted for a few minutes, and just as I thought to get my phone out and take a video the last ones went by. At the end of the "procession" was a jeep with American flags flying from all sides. Then I thought, "Oh! They're just being patriotic Americans! That's okay then. Carry on then, good citizens! Don't mind that you're running everyone else off the road!". Sad that so many people think being an American means doing whatever they want regardless of their impact on others.

Anyway, back to the run! I ran up lots and lots of hills. I ran on very pretty roads. I checked behind me for serial killers jumping out of the brush on long stretches of secluded road.

Now for the dog. As a runner covering a lot of miles, I come across a lot of dogs. I've developed a great appreciation for well-trained, friendly dogs and responsible owners. This is because I also encounter plenty of unleashed dogs, some unfriendly, all with irresponsible owners. Sad for those dogs, and for me. Though I wish all dogs were leashed or contained in their yards, I don't mind seeing a dog come running at me barking if the dog is clearly approaching me in a friendly way. I don't mind if a dog barks from his yard but isn't going to leave the yard. Today a big dog with no leash and no tags came running at me barking, growling, and baring his teeth. He cornered me at the side of the road when I tried to keep running by. He kept growling and crouched low as if to attack. Great. I stopped running and stood my ground, waiting to see what would happen. Typically if I stop running, stand my ground and slowly walk away after a few moments, unfriendly dogs will let me go. This mean dude wasn't letting me move an inch. So I stood there for a minute trying to decide what to do. Finally a little boy came out of a house about 200 yards away and started shaking a treat box, trying to call the dog away. Great. Clearly a well-trained animal. The dog ignored the boy and crouched low to attack. This went on for another few minutes, when finally I called out "Come get your dog before I call the police!". The situation was getting ridiculous and I didn't know what else to do. The boy kept going back in the house, and finally a woman came out and called the dog away. The dog still stayed between us looking mean. Instead of apologizing or sending the dog inside, the woman proceeded to blame me for the incident! Apparently if I had "just kept going" the dog would have left me alone. Riiight... I told her that because I didn't know her dog and couldn't predict his behavior, for my safety I stood there until she got the dog. She continued to blame me. At that point I was just plain pissed off at this woman, and I may have let her know in some not-very-nice ways. Oops... I can have quite a mouth sometimes. She deserved it, and when I got home I had a nice little talk with the local animal control officer who will pay her a visit. Booyah!

This is where I'd put a picture of the dog if I'd thought to take one. Just envision him: Snarly, crouching, ready-to-attack, and probably weighing more than I do. 

After the run, I examined a new black-purple callous/blister thingy at the end of my small toe while taking an ice bath. Then, a fantastic shower and a trip to Panera to pick up dinner. I ordered a sandwich and a salad. The girl asked if I wanted the half sandwich/salad combo. I pretended to consider it so I wouldn't seem like a pig, then asked for the full sizes and muttered a lie about saving the leftovers. It was either that or explain that I needed a lot of food after running 15 miles, which isn't something most people can relate to.

The reason I could trot out for dinner wherever I wanted was that Chris and Celia were gone at a wedding today. I couldn't go because I'm still contagious, and this virus is apparently very contagious. So, I ended up with quite a bit of time on my own which was nice, but weird. I wish I could have been there. Chris did send a picture of Pita in her dress.

She looks so tiny and cute in it! I wish I could have been with her. Then again, getting my revenge on the mean dog lady, resting my legs and eating massive amounts of sandwich, salad, and pie hasn't been bad either.

the terrible, awful, horrible, no good, very bad run

Yesterday I started getting sick. I can only guess I'm now coming down with the virus Celia had. She at least seems much better now. I was scheduled for a 7-mile run, and knew I wasn't feeling great but figured I'd at least get something done. So while Chris and Celia started dinner I headed out. I could tell immediately that my legs hadn't recovered sufficiently from Saturday's long run. I need to start taking more time to stretch, take ice baths, use compression, or whatever ends up making recovery better. Anyway, my legs just felt dead. I did manage a 10 minute pace for about 6 miles, with a couple of walking breaks. Then I had to walk the last mile home (this mile includes a .5 mile uphill that I could not handle). By the time I got home, almost every affliction that could befall a runner had befallen me during the course of a single run. And running afflictions are mostly not very pleasant. I told Chris I felt like quitting marathon training, wallowed in a banana with peanut butter, and hobbled upstairs for a shower. By that point I was feeling flu-like symptoms that included an uncontrollable case of shivery chills. When I could no longer justify wasting more hot water in the shower, I bundled up in a fleece robe and ski socks (a bit odd for July), and ended up in bed at 8:30. As I type this morning (thank goodness Celia is playing well by herself for a few minutes so I can just sit) I'm wearing socks, sweatshirt, jeans, and fleece robe. It's 77 degrees in here.

Celia slept almost all the way through the night 'till her wake up time. At least I had that going for me. She slept until 5:15 am, I rocked her for a minute, and she slept again until 6. I definitely need to take today off from running. I still have the chills, very sore throat, and am achy all over, and it will not be easy to get through the day by myself. I feel bad that I can't really do much with Celia.

Okay, enough griping. I'm sure once I feel better my training will be back to normal. Hopefully I won't miss too many runs but I need to rest right now.

sledding in july

I'm back! We have had a very eventful four days, which is why I haven't been online. On Friday afternoon we headed up to the North Shore (during rush hour traffic- yikes!) to stay at an inn/motel for the night. This was Celia's first time staying in any kind of hotel. She did so well! She did great in the car, even though it was a long ride. We checked into our room and got settled, and then took Pita out for ice cream before bed. She loves anything new, so the whole experience was great fun for her. I was a little worried about how she would do sleeping in such a new place, but she slept all night without waking up once! Here she is enjoying her morning bottle in the hotel room, like some sort of traveling professional.

The reason we went up to the North Shore was for me to run a seven mile road race on Saturday morning! I don't have any of the pictures from the race, but maybe I'll post them when I do. The race went really well. My goal was to finish between 1:03 and 1:10, and I finished in 1:04:16. A decent time, considering that it was a ninety degree day and that the course was very hilly. I actually liked the hills, as they're my strength and give me a chance to pass lots of other runners. It's definitely a race I'd run again. Pita played on the beach while I was racing:

After the race we had lunch and traveled further north to my parents' house in NH. We had a great weekend playing outside with Celia, and Chris and I got to go out for a couple of hours by ourselves on Sunday afternoon. I also got plenty of time to read. I finished reading Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay. It was really, really good. Then I started Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, and am already halfway through it. My parents have a beautiful yard with lots of flowers and a vegetable garden. It was so nice to be able to let Celia run around in the yard without constantly watching her and having to worry about her falling down a steep embankment or running into the road like at our place. It made us want a house even more. Celia had such a good time with her Nana and Grandpa that she hardly gave me the time of day. She is so attached to them.

Celia even slept through the night both Saturday and Sunday nights. On one hand this is very nice, but on the other hand I kind of miss having one or two middle-of-the-night snuggles with her every night. I can't complain though. It would be nice at some point to know that when I go to bed, I don't have to worry about when I'll be woken during the night.

This morning I had a nice seven mile run. I took my time and even stopped to take some pictures. Also had my first mid-run roadside pee stop, which was pretty exciting. It was such a nice morning. The air in the town where I grew up smells so much nicer, and cleaner, than where we live. These are the kinds of things I see on my runs there:

So, you can see why I wasn't in any rush today. This week is a step-up week mileage-wise, and my weekday runs will be either 7 miles or 4 miles. My long run will be 14 miles. Things are really picking up!

This afternoon we packed up and drove home. Celia was cranky on and off once we got home. I think she was completely exhausted from such a busy weekend, and probably wasn't thrilled to be without her Nana and Grandpa. She even asked for an extra nap and lay in her crib for a little while. Then, we went sledding.

Chris was cleaning out the garage and hanging up the sleds when he and Celia decided to use one. She thought this was pretty great.

It was a great long weekend! I am happy to now be unpacked, ready for the rest of the week, and most of all to sleep in my own bed tonight.