TriTalk Tuesday - Are My Kids Still Chasing Me?

It's TriTalk Tuesday again!  My favorite day of the blogging week where I get to link up with Cynthia at You Signed Up for What? and Courtney at The TriGirl Chronicles and dish about all things triathlon.  The last two weeks we have covered the Swim, the Bike, and now (predictably) it's time to talk about the Run.  (Actually, as my technical coach pointed out in his bike post, we should have covered T1 after the swim to be totally accurate.  Whatever.  Next week is Transition.....)

My new favorite running shirt

Before we dig in, let me fill you in on the status of my mental breakdown from the last post.  I'm a little better.  I took three rest days in a row, which is more than I've taken since... I'm guessing before Christmas.  And the world did not end.  We also had some family time with a quick trip to the Berkshires.  Nothing to epic to report - just some kids museums, a lot of nice restaurants, and enough hotel pools to keep the kidlets happy and tired enough to fall asleep fast in their hotel bed.  I won't claim to be the Queen of the Land of Sanity, but I also haven't flown off the handle in at least 48 24 a good solid 8 hours.  We'll call that progress.

Rest Day / Vacation Nutrition

So.... The Run

One of many running boo-boos

Running still claims the prize as my least favorite of the triathlon disciplines.  Despite all winter and early spring focusing on it, getting more confident and speedy, and bagging two half marathons. I still don't feel "good at it" (whatever that means).  Certainly, running has afforded me the most injuries of all my athletic endeavors.  I've had issues with every joint south of my navel in the last year, including a stint on crutches and an MRI that still didn't lead to a diagnosis more specific than "over-use".  In retrospect, most of these were likely caused by my poor running form, something that I am currently focusing on fixing.  So what keeps me out there pounding the pavement?

1.  I'm a social runner

Said in the same tone as "I'm a social smoker...."   I'm not advocating smoking.  At all. But it is true that I originally starting running with a couple of girlfriends.  I was jealous of those "running moms" that I saw at the multitude of 5ks for PTOs and other good causes around here.  They work and have kids?  How come they can run so fast?  How hard can it be?  Left right left right.... I wanna do that!!!!  And so forth.  Ironically, it was taking up running that led me to triathlon, as one of my running buddies casually suggested I try it since I had 2 of the 3 sports down (running and biking).  

Mommies on the Run

In this respect, running has not disappointed.  I have met some amazing women through running that I now consider some of my closest friends.  If that means that more of my social life revolves around workouts than drinking wine these days.... that's ok.  We can do both.

2.  It's attached to other activities I like

I attribute this extremely astute assessment to my physical therapist, Laura, who shares my love/hate relationship with the activity.  Let's face it - there isn't really a way to race a triathlon without running.  True, you can walk the run.  Many do, especially on the long-course triathlons.  Or you can do an Aquabike (just the swim and bike).  Which is just as expensive in race fees, and yet lacks the same cache as doing a triathlon, in my opinion.  Plus it's even harder to explain to non-triathletes than a regular tri ("You do what?  Bike in the water?")

3. It's easy

Not the the actual running part.  That's still hard.  In terms of convenience though it cannot be beat.  Beyond a pair of sneakers, no special equipment is required.  No pool memberships to pay for.  Treadmill, road, trail.... it is easier for me to "sneak in" a running workout than any other kind into my busy schedule.

4. My little girl is obsessed with running

Last season in a fit of temper I told my daughter (then 5) that I was quitting running while tucking her in to bed.  She literally burst into tears crying, "No Mommy you are my training buddy you HAVE to keep running I love to run with you!!!!"  Oops.  You just never know what will traumatize your kids.  To say that this girl loves to run is an understatement.  

Training for her 5k

Perfect.  Form.

My kiddo did her first 5K when she was 4 years old.  We were running the local turkey trot and she surprised us by hopping out of the stroller and trotting the whole way along, laughing and yelling "gobble gobble!" to everyone.  Last month she ran our local St. Patrick's Day race in a very impressive time for someone who's legs are so short she can't go on my roller coasters.  She's also my favorite running buddy.  I push the empty jogging stroller for as long as she wants (this weekend it was a mile), and then she hops in and entertains me for the rest of my run.  I just hope she never decides to run a marathon because I won't be able to keep up!

We did it!  One mile for Boo and four miles for Mom!

5.  Runner's crush

I admit it - I have a little bit of a crush on good runners.  My definition of good ranges from people like Shalane Flanagan who nearly won the Boston Marathon, to my coach and my sister-in-law who have been running for years and are my definition of "fast for normal people", to bigger runners like The Heavyweight Runner who are still out there getting it done even though I can imagine how much it hurts.   I guess that's the thing - I find running extremely difficult - more-so than most things in life, and to see people really out there giving it their all is truly inspirational.   I could write an entire article on how stories from the recent Boston Marathon made me cry (and maybe I will).  There is just something truly amazing about the human spirit and what it takes to push yourself along on your own two legs for miles and miles....

 6.  Runner's High

No fighting biology.  Running gets your blood pumping and endorphins moving faster than most other athletic activities.  When it comes to stress relief and a break from anxiety or anger (or frustration from the challenges of mom-hood), nothing give me the bang for the buck that a good run does.  Plus, the high from finishing a tough race is addictive.

Rio and I cross the line at the Raleigh Rock n Roll Half Marathon

Do you talk triathlon on your blog? Link up with You Signed Up For WHAT?!, The Cupcake Triathlete, and The TriGirl Chronicles on Tuesdays for Tri Talk! We’ll discover a new theme each week and talk about triathlon training, tips, and general chatter. Be sure to link to your specific post and not a general link to your blog so that your post can be found in the linkup archives. Links not triathlon-related will be deleted.  Also, please link posts that are on topic for each week's theme.  Ex. this week is running.  Next week is Transition.  Thanks!

An InLinkz Link-up

Raleigh Rock 'n' Roll Race-cation Recap!

 Try saying THAT ten times fast!  Raleigh Rock 'n' Roll Race-cation Recap! Raleigh Rock 'n' Roll Race-cation Recap! Raleigh Rock 'n' Roll Race-cation Recap!........

This past weekend I traveled down to Raleigh to run the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon with my best buddy from college, Rio.  In addition to the race, it was to be three glorious nights of kid-free girl time and relaxation.  Ok, Rio does have a baby, but she's so good and so cute that she didn't really count.  The weekend did not disappoint.

2 Days Before the Race:

First up, following a 2:30 am start to travel to the airport, was the Race Expo at the Raleigh Convention Center to pick up our bibs on Friday night.  I have never been to a race of this size before, ergo also never been to a race expo like this.

So... Many... Booths....

We grabbed our race packets, wandered around a bit, took lots of goofy pictures in front of various things like balloon sculptures and the "Potty Like a Rock Star" posters (if you missed why I was uber-excited about this, read this).  Rio and her husband bought matching Garmin Vivofits, I bought some Sweatybands, and then I got the surprise of my life!  I was wearing my Another Mother Runner's Boston Strong t-shirt.  I heard someone say, "Hey Another Mother Runner!"  I turned around and it was Dimity (of AMR)!!

Running Man!

Add caption

Suffice it to say I was just a little bit excited.  I threw my arms around her and blurted something along the lines of "I just sent cake pops to your house!"  Which is, of course, a very confusing thing to say to someone who's never met you before in your life and just more or less attacked you.  But we did sort it out - she took me over to their booth (I had no idea they were at the expo), and I met Sarah as well.  I showed them photos of the cake I made as my entry to their Ragnar Relay contest.  I told them all about myself, bragged about my children, and essentially babbled for at least ten minutes.  They were very nice, and even initially thought I was a college student.  Score!!  They even swapped out the shirt I was wearing for another size because it was too small.  Yes, I gave celebrities my dirty laundry.  Let no one ever say I'm not classy.  I must have stopped talking at some point and left them, floating away in a haze of exhilaration to have actually met these amazing women.  Now I know that if they don't pick me for the Ragnar team it is because I thoroughly scared them with my over-enthusiastic group-y schtick.  

SBS, me and Dimity of AMR!

We spent the rest of the warm, breezy evening at a pub for dinner, listening to street musicians, and wandering around enjoying the beautiful city and the feeling of spring finally sprung.  Raleigh is the City of Oaks, I learned, and the center is full of these gorgeous lighted statues of oak trees.

Awesome goodie bag of
stuff from AMR

Day Before the Race:

The next morning we went out for our race prep run on the Tobacco Trail.  Rio's husband is quite the running guru and had been working with me all the previous day on my form - on increasing my cadence, engaging my core, and avoiding the heel-striking over-reaching gait that has hurt my hips so badly.  Rio and I ran about 2 miles, joking about the vultures that were circling over the trail as we ran.  A bad sign??  My hip was painful but my cadence was higher than usual and I felt pretty good for the race.  Some rolling and some medicine right before should do the trick.

Vultures over the running trail

Rio's German shepherd puppy helps me roll out

 Race Day!!

Race day outfit was laid out the night before - my AMR Boston Strong shirt and Sweatyband, new Athleta skort I got during a shop-fest with Rio, and the orange Fellow Flower that Rio bought for the race (it means friendship).

The alarm went off at 4:30 and we were out the door by 5:15.  As a race day "extra" we had purchased a VIP package that not only included access to nice bathrooms, but also special parking (a huge help as we waited in bumper to bumper traffic for most of the drive) and a special convention room inside the Sheraton with a full catered breakfast where we could stay warm and relax before the race started.  It was so worth it.

Relaxing in the hotel.  

We wandered outside into our corral, which was 17 out of 26.  We were in the 2:30 pacer group, and each wave was let go about 3 minutes apart, so we had plenty of time to take photos, goof around, and move slowly like penned sheep towards the starting line.

Waiting in our corral

2:30 pace group

Finally it was our turn and away we went!!  I have to say, I learned so much at this race.  Rio was adamant prior to the race that she wanted to run negative splits, and that she was going to hold me back in the first half.  Moreover, she was cool with walking whenever necessary.  She is a veteran of 12 half marathons now and was going to teach me a lesson about how to enjoy a race and not finish feeling like I was completely trashed.

I had some trouble with her method at first.  I am not a patient person.  I was in a lot of pain because of my hip, and walking and then starting again hurt it more than continual running did.  I also was more used to running hills than many racers, so as most were walking up the hills, I wanted to run.  I was antsy and looking at my watch and generally feeling frustrated at the very calm Rio, who seemed to just be enjoying herself way more than anyone should during a race.

My goal for the race was to follow Rio's lead, though.  So I did, despite a couple of lapses in temper.

Brass band on the overpass at Mile 2

My favorite crowd sign!

The crowd support was epic.  So many folks were out with signs - many that said "Go Random Stranger!" and other encouraging and funny sayings.  It was a beautiful day - warm and sunny.  There was a band every mile.  I had my best friend with me.  It was lovely.  After mile 5 the pain in my hip was gone.  I focused on my new running form and enjoyed the day.

Around mile 7, Rio got sneaky.  Meaning that she picked up her pace and started leaving me chugging up the hills.  What was this??  I will admit that part of me did not believe that she was going to truly pick up her pace in the second half.  Well, she did.  She schooled me.  I was getting tired, and by Mile 12 I was taking more walking breaks than she was.  I even bowed to her at one point on the course - the Rio method works.  I would have crashed and burned if left to my own devices - if Rio had not been enduring my bad attitude and holding me back by my running skirt.

Around Mile 10 - flags for the downed soldiers

 We tried to kill Mile 12, but I didn't have it in me.  My splits overall were negative, but erratically so.  We sprinted the finish line and crossed hand in hand with a watch time of 2:28.  Only four minutes slower than New Bedford last month. 

I promise I will buy this photo....

Those four minutes bought me so much fun and so much less pain in my body.  After the race my quads and hips were sore, but also my calves and core, which tells me I did better on cadence and form.  I cannot tell you how much more FUN I had with this race.  This weekend has truly changed my running goals.  Going forward I am going to focus on form form form.  The next race I do I will cool it in the first half and save some juice for the second.  I'm adding in a nutrition stop at mile 11 (to my usual miles 4 & 8).

Happy and sweaty at the finish!

The day was not 100% fun, sadly.  After we left the race we heard on the news that two young men collapsed and died on the course.  We did not see the medical teams while we were running, so they must have been behind us.  It is truly terrible to have people's lives cut short, and it seems to be an increasing trend.  My heart goes out to the families of the men that died.  I hope that there is some consolation that they passed while chasing their dreams.

How do you run a half?  Do you take it easy in the first half, or gun it the whole way?

Of Hotels and Expos

Hotel elevator selfie

Triathletes are a little weird.  It's just true.  We get up at horrifically dark hours of the morning to jump in cold pools.  We spend weekends on bikes and doing something called "bricks" that has nothing to do with landscaping.  We are way too used to wearing spandex in public.  Moreover, we do something that, in my opinion, kinda freaks most people out.  The idea of doing a race is hard enough.  You're out there.  You're alone.  There's no team - just yourself and your body and your mind for one hour, two hours.... 140.6 miles.  Then we go do that in three different sports.  Ha!  The possibilities of messing up just got three times more complicated.  Why embarrass and torture yourself one way when three is so much better?

Triathletes "get" this

My weirdness was reinforced this week at my conference for work.  Every year, all of my division is shipped to Boston to a conference center for two days of fist-bumping and team building.  Many grumble about this, but I was just psyched to be put up in a fancy schmancy hotel at no cost and sleep in a bed alone for once.  Plus - this particular hotel had both a lap pool AND a first class gym in it.  Skip sessions anyone??  Anyway, my coworkers [good-naturedly] ridiculed me for leaving the open bar reception early to go swim laps.  I also ended up running around the hotel in my sweat-soaked spandex after my morning workout, because my room lost power and I had to find a coworker's room to shower off in (awkward!!).  So yeah.  I'm a little weird.  But it's all good.

Pretty hotel flowers....

Tuesday:  25 minute continuous swim in the itty bitty but very nice hotel lap pool

Wednesday: 3.3 mile speed workout on the treadmill while watching storm waves in Boston Harbor

Thursday: 1 hour swim with kids (yes I count this as training), then 2 mile easy run after bedtime followed by 40 minutes of yoga to loosen tight hips

Friday ended up being a rest day due to that pesky day job, and this little number:

Monster's Inc. birthday cake.
Piping that much fur frosting
totally counts as forearm strength training.
Do you use your forearms ever in triathlon?

Then Saturday was......

Yay!!!  The Trimania Expo in Boston!  Heading back to the city with several hundred (thousand?) of my fellow weirdos to spend a day of seminars, clinics, races, and vendor expos....

My coach's advice

I was super excited to have my best girl Gypsy with me.  We started this sport together after all, so it's always extra awesome to have her by my side for anything athletic related.  Actually - for anything not athletic related too (though come to think of it I'm not sure we've ever done that.... hmm.  A social occasion with no running.....)

Anyway, my first task of the day was a gait analysis I'd signed up for.  When I first got my running shoes back more than a year ago, the seventeen year old kid working at the store said, 

"Wow, I've never seen anyone run like you do...."

Hmm. A suite of injuries has followed, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to be checked out by someone who knows what the "right way" to run is. It was very helpful.  And a little humbling.  As the videos the coaches took and sent to me crashed when I tried to download them, I had my kiddos reshoot that evening so I could share (make sure you have the sound on.  They are hysterical).

I have a lot of "pathological" gait characteristics.  The biggest one is that I literally put one foot in front of the other.  Like running on a tightrope.  This twists my hips around a lot (hello, hip pain??).  I also twist a lot on top.  And I bounce up and down at a super low 152 cadence.  The physical therapist filming me said "you have kids, right?"  Not "a kid" - kids plural.  Clearly she wasn't taken in by my youthful good looks.  She went on to say that I have tremendous weakness in my core due to childbearing, and possibly even diastasis recti.  Which is the separation of your abs in front to make room for baby.  This doesn't always heal.  In my case, having two kids right on top of each other could have done some damage.  This came as a decent surprise to me.  I've done yoga and pilates on a regular basis since well before I became a mom.  I can plank with the best of them.  But my bouncing, rotating rear end tells the story.  I need more hip strength, glute strength, and core strength.  

So this morning I snapped a chalk line down the center of my 'mill, set a metronome to 170 bpm and set out on my new quest to correct my running form.  Guess what, I feel really good doing so.  Way less hip pain that usual.  Who knew running didn't have to hurt so much?

Saturday (today): 5 mile hill run on the treadmill at 50:45, followed by 20 minutes of hip/glute/core strength

Back to the expo.  Another highlight was helping Gypsy try on and purchase a wetsuit.  I already have a sleeveless wetsuit, so I couldn't justify buying myself another (sigh).  Gypsy had never worn a wetsuit, so out of solidarity I put on my swim suit and tried them on with her.  Let's be real - the grunting, sticky, awkward horror that is trying on your first wetsuit ranks right up there with other loss-of-virginity activities.  Friends don't let friends do it alone.  Plus it's just the sort of embarrassing goofball activity that I enjoy.  I'll skip the details and just say that while Gypsy's first fitting experience was a little rocky, we both had fun in the pool and she left the expo with a pretty purple and black new full sleeve suit.  Jedi would later ask how I could call any wetsuit pretty.  Hers is pretty.  We make them look pretty, Jedi.....

I bumped into so many friends and training partners that day.  It was just so amazing to be around so many other triathletes.  It sounds cliche, but it was so very inspiring.  I love that there were ages from teenagers to folks in their 80s still racing.  Men and women.  Little skinny folks and not-so-skinny folks.  Fast people and slow people and everyone in between.  But every single person there was a triathlete because something in the sport speaks to them.  About getting out of their comfort zone.  Of doing things that are scary.  Of learning how to translate the lessons of triathlon into their regular life.  Mental toughness.  Physical discomfort.  How to improve.  How to win.  How to lose.  How to be somehow better than you were before you started....

The keynote speaker was world champion Siri Lindley.  She was not at all what I expected a world champion triathlete to be like.  She was funny.  She was self deprecating.  She told the story of her first race, where she didn't know that she was supposed to swim with her head in the water, road a mountain bike, and did 100 m sprints on the run until she puked.  

I don't aspire to Kona, but knowing that Siri started the same place as the rest of us.... that is powerful.

Tomorrow starts a new week of work, a new week of training.  Spring is creeping closer - I have the photos to prove it! 

Even better than hotel flowers.
Crocus emerging from the snow.

What have you learned (or do you hope to learn) from triathlon?

Pot of Gold - Celtic 5K Race Recap

At the starting line

Warning - the majority of this post is going to be shameless bragging about my daughter.  I can't help it.  I am so unbelievable, over-the-top, giddy proud of her.  If I completely bonk, break something or fall in the ocean next week at the New Bedford half marathon, I will still consider my brief running career a success, because it introduced my daughter to running.

And boy does she love to run.  

Training.  I stay next to her at all times.

A few weeks ago, Natalie asked if she could do a race with Mommy.  We often run together in warmer weather, but this unending winter has meant that our favorite rail trail isn't passable for little feet or the jogging stroller (where she takes her breaks on longer runs), so she's been feeling left out.  I hadn't planned on running the Celtic 5K this year, mostly because it's a little expensive, and because it's a week before my half marathon.  What was the point?  Well, the point started training on the treadmill - about 20 minutes every other day, and was determined to have a great race with mom.

Meanwhile I worked on creating the perfect leprechaun costume.  No small feat, when I wasn't sure what the weather would be like.  I got a clearance green sweater at Old Navy, pinned on some black and gold felt to make a belt.  A bowler hat from Target, some striped legwarmers on Amazon, and her existing white turtleneck and leggings finished off the look.  We tried her costume on for fit the other night and she was very happy with it.  Score one Mom!

We got a rocky start this morning - bleary from a late date night of babysitting and the time change.  Nat was also worried that I'd ditch her, since I DNFed my training run yesterday due to some tummy issues.  No chance honey.  The plan was that we'd all go.  Nat and I would run the race while Jedi and the little man found a spot to watch the parade.  Parking is tough so we got there early.  Got our bib (only one number so I pinned it on her back) and then had a lot of time to kill.  Which, when it's 25 degrees out and your kids are already tired, can be tough.  Luckily the Irish band was already playing, so we danced and jogged and shot some photos.

Dancing!

Brother is ready to make some noise!
The same plastic trumpet I bought them
at the race last year after one too many celebratory beers.
Might as well use it again!

Finally it was almost race time, so we sent to boys off to play photographer, and started jostling our way into the crowd.  By some amazing fortune, we saw our friend Dawn.  We know Dawn well from the farmer's market where we sell our cupcakes, and her gluten-free business has fed my children dinner on many a market night.  Nat gave her a big hug right away, and I had someone to visit with while we waited for the gun to go off.

Finding a good friend in a crowd of 3,000 is great!!!

Once the race got underway, we shuffled toward the starting line.  Dawn help me body block Natalie from the big crowd for the first few hundred yards (thank you Dawn!) and then we started getting some breathing space.  The course is an out-and-back.  Slightly downhill the first half, and slightly uphill the second (obviously).  I'd talked to Natalie before the race about pacing, as she (like many runners, even those older than 6) has a tendency to go out too fast and burn out.  She told me her plan was to do bursts of speed and then back off.  Good plan.  The first half mile or so she did great - she was running a little fast (around 10:30) so I told her to back off.  She took a few walking breaks, and then would start up again.  All the way we soaked in the comments of "Oh she is so cute!" and "how old is she?" and "You're doing great sweetie!!!!".  Both from the spectators and other runners.  She also interjection her own adorable-isms, telling me that "Running makes everything better" and "I hope I always race with you mommy" and many many "I love you so much mommy!"s.

I will admit it - it was really cool being the mom of the cutest, fastest little leprechaun on the course.

Around the turnaround she was starting to tire.  Pacing around 13:00.  But the cheers continued, and Natalie was starting to enjoy the feeling of "picking off" some of the walkers.  There were many joked comments about being beaten by a six year old.  That's my six year old!!!  I taught her how to focus on a landmark up ahead and just think about running to that (like a telephone pole).  We played shadow tag (where she tried to catch up to and jump on my shadow).  I whispered to her how much fun it is to find a racer ahead of you and "pick them off".  She started picking her targets - the girl in the striped socks.  The sparkle skirt lady.  You are going down sparkle skirt lady!  She was still doing great but I knew she was tired.

Nat's little running friend is in between us

Then she ran into the perfect motivation.  A buddy.  Just her size.  As we started to pass a little girl jogging on the side, she said "hey you're my age!!!"  While exchanging life stories (what grade are you in, how old are you, what's your name, I'm a leprechaun... I'm not I'm just wearing green stickers on my cheeks) the two little girls were unwilling to let each other get ahead of the other.

Perfect mini-running friends.  Best buddies, and yet determined to beat each other.

I wondered a bit if Nat's new friend had a parent around, but she assured me her mom was walking and her dad was waiting at the finish line.  Ok.  Go girls go!!  There were no more walking breaks as the girls ran the last mile together.  At one point I yelled at then to slow down - they were running faster than 10 minute miles!!  Just as we started to enter the chute Nat told me she wanted a break.  I said no no no now is when you give it all you have!!!  She took off and finished strong, sprinting ahead of mommy.  I'm pretty sure she tied with her little friend (who's father was indeed, right there to get her).

Sprinting the finish.  Perfect form!!

We crossed just before 40 minutes.  Official time 39:48.

To put that in perspective, when I ran this race solo last year (my first 5K in a long time) my time was 36 something.  That is fast for a little girl!  I hoisted her onto my shoulders and took her to get water, coconut water (not sure she likes that), and pizza.    We met up with the boys.  Tucked an exhausted but jubilant little girl into the stroller for some well deserved rest.

Post race tired and sweaty.

The rest of the parade passed pleasantly.  We were cold and the kids were tired. There weren't enough snacks, so I ran to the grocery store (literally - not an expression) for cheese sticks, blueberries and cookies.  Little guy told me all about the double fire truck I missed while I was at the store.   The mom next to us ended up also being a triathlete so we chatted amiably about which races we had done and what courses were our favorites.  Triathlete moms are everywhere.  For real.  

Bagpipes!!

Finally the kids had had enough so we headed home.  The kids are playing quietly, but Natalie refuses to take off her leprechaun costume.  I think she may sleep in it....

Post-run hair is tough

I have no idea where my daughter gets her energy, her love of running, and her talent.  Certainly not from me.  Not from the Jedi, who will likely only run if being chased by some sort of large carnivore.  At my swim class yesterday a group of us were talking about just why I (we) run if we don't always enjoy it.  I have my answer.

I will always run, to make sure I'm always there to race with my daughter.  For as long as she wants me to.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone!

Deep Satisfaction

For many, the moments of deep satisfaction - where we know down to our toes that "we did good" are few.  The hectic pace of life doesn't let appreciate them properly.  Our inner "guilt" voices don't allow us to soak them up without judgment.  But on the rare occasions that these moments do come our way, grab and hold in your heart for as long as you can.

Blowing out Olaf's campfire

This weekend my beautiful daughter turned six years old.  She is funny, smart, sweet, opinionated, and my biggest fan and #1 cheerleader.  She knows just what she wants, and makes her thoughts known when she doesn't get it (usually pretty politely, but with no ambiguity).  Just the revelation that that night in the hospital when I fought for hours to bring her into this world was six years ago is amazing.  I have a six year old.  Crazy.  The tiny little bundle has become an articulate not-so-tiny blur of constant energy and chatter.  "I love her" is inadequate.  There aren't the right words.

This is the first year that we haven't thrown a big party for her.  We took her, her brother, and her bestie to a trampoline park for an hour of open bouncing, then to her favorite burrito joint for lunch.  Grandpa & Grandma came over for lunch the next day.  I took her swimming.  No lavish presents.  No fuss.  A small cake, with gluten-free cupcakes and cake pops for me and her brother (Frozen, of course).  I had a lot of fun making Olaf the Snowman.  A very relaxed, low stress birthday.  She loved it.  As I tucked her into bed, she told me, "Mommy this really was the best birthday ever".

Deep satisfaction in making my girl so happy.  Also in being her mom.  I am not perfect, but I'm a pretty good mom.  There's no way my girl would be turning out so well if I wasn't.  Jedi and I are doing this Mom & Dad thing pretty well.  That feels good.

Jedi in midair!  The aerial skills...

Bounce!!

In the midst of the birthday celebrations, I had this pesky long run to deal with.  My foot felt good - I was equal parts chomping at the bit to get running again after a few days off, and terrified of taking on nine miles.  Come Sunday morning I had 3 options:

a) Run all 9 miles inside on the treadmill in the morning before my parents came for lunch
b) Run 5 miles inside in the morning, then another 4 in the evening (in case my foot was having trouble).  Twice in one day.  Oof.
c) throw all caution to the wind and run outside, despite the cold and snowfall.

I agonized a bit a lot, and chose option 3.  It was nine degrees out.  Not counting the wind chill.  But it was also absolutely beautiful out - clear blue skies and a coat of crystal white over the landscape.  If I was gonna suffer for nearly 2 hours, I was not going to do it staring at the unfinished wall of my basement.

I ran a route that I'd mapped out on MapMyRide, and that was one of my bike routes.  Let me say that again - I ran a route that I used to train on my bike.  The footing was a little tough - mostly slush and loosely packed snow.  My pace wasn't awesome.  I stopped to take pictures, to drink, to fiddle with my phone.  To put on and take off my gloves and scarf at least five times.  The wind was brutal.  The hills became brutal.  I ran into the next town and back...

Town line

The worst moment came when I realized that my carefully planned route was EIGHT miles, not nine.  Just when I wanted to quit more than anything, I had to run past my own house, beckoning with its warmth, and to the end of the road and back to get the last mile in.  I feel this deserves extra perseverance points.

9 miles, 1:46:01

In the end, I did good.  I was a bit nervous to report my time to my coach, but his response made me laugh out loud:

"With this workout completed you could have pretty much said anything other than " I was attacked by wolves or eaten by a bear" and I would have been deliriously happy. This is uncharted territory and completing this distance period, regardless or pace or snapping some pics, is epic especially with an injury scare earlier. Again we are simply working on endurance and getting your body used to distances like these. Not trying to lock in paces or score PRs. I know you just took a rest day but you get another tomorrow as reward. I forbid cardio. But yoga/stretching/smacking the kids around is cool. Congrats!"

Did I mention I love my Sheriff?  Deep satisfaction in pushing through this workout.  In doing something hard.  In not taking the easy way out (not that I think there's really any way to run nine miles).

Today I am tired, I am sore.  I am really, really, really sore.  But I feel peaceful and proud.  Loved and valuable.  I'm going to hold onto the feeling.

Go ahead and brag.  Tell me what you've done that you feel deeply satisfied by?