Christmas 2012.

 

1. my Grandma and the new baby Ben

2. Bits of my Christmas tree which was put up 3 days before Christmas

3. a Christmas morning moment

4. Christmas Champer

5. "I love it!"

Fall things are happening.

 

Last Saturday, the day I completed a half-marathon in under 3 hours, was the first day of Fall. Now that that's over we are celebrating all things Autumn with a wonderfully curious 21 month old. These are some photos I took yesterday at the Pumpkin patch. More on the half-marathon when I have time to write about it.

One month later.

It's been about a month since I last updated my running stats, and about 1.5 weeks since I last went on a run. We've had a busy 3 weeks and I'll be sure to catch up when I find some free time.  I was just extended at work for another month so while there will be cash flowing, the free time will be minimal since I'll be starting classes again the day after labor day.


Things to look forward to:

• a new pet!
• school starting again (I still love the first day of school!)
• the half-marathon on Sept. 22nd!

And I'll end this quickie update with a funny Ben-ism. A few weeks ago I was talking about one of my runs and the groundhogs I encounter on a regular basis.  They like to sit near the sidewalk and run back into the grass/woods when I run by, I was explaining to Ben how they startle me when I run and that they must really just like to be close to the road for some reason.  Then Ben said, "yes, sometimes they like to be so close to the road that they like to be completely flat against it." Then I died from laughing.

Celebrations

I really am trying to focus this blog on my running but while I'm celebrating the milestones I'm making in the miles I'm running, other people I know are celebrating milestones as well. My sister graduated from highschool this year and she's off to SUNY Oneonta in the fall. Saturday was her graduation party where we enjoyed the company of friends and family to congratulate her. It was also my cousin's due date, so we're also celebrating a new baby boy anyday now!

Weekly Recap (training week 6)

I needed rest this week, I really did. We're moving, so I've been busy cleaning over there to get the place move in ready. I've been packing and packing, a teacup human really needs a lot of stuff. I'm trying to get rid of a lot of stuff too, some of this shit just needs to go.

I ran 0 miles Monday through Friday. Not kidding. I really wanted to run, but other life things got in the way so I didn't.

On Saturday I ran my long run because I read somewhere that you shouldn't really skip any of your training runs (oops) and especially not your long run. All that rest really helped though because I ran my best times and longest distance yet.

Saturday: 6 miles (total 6.74 miles, I didn't run too far away because it had started to rain, I ran about halfway and turned around), avg pace: 11:19 min/mile. I set new PR for every category on Endomondo (follow me: Sarah Levin). 1 mile in 10m:40s! Needless to say, it was awesome, and I had no idea I was doing so great.

This week is sure to be filled with more running and more moving.

Mine...but not mine.

In a couple weeks we are moving to a new place. A new apartment; one that is larger and will fit us and all our stuff a little better than the current place we live does. This place could be considered a duplex because it is an upper and a lower, we've got the lower flat, as Ben's dad calls it (he's not British). 

I'm excited, I really am. I've even picked out some paint swatches to paint the front room and the living room.  The thing is: I'm also sad because this means we're another year away from buying a home, from owning a bit piece of this Earth. I guess there is a time and place for everything and in this time and place we were not.  A few months ago we tried for a mortgage, with lackluster support from Ben's parents and a muppety loan originator, it just didn't pan out.

So here we are moving into this new-to-us home, still un-tied to anything keeping us here. Maybe Ben will find a job somewhere fun and different and I'll follow behind, keeping my steady government job to support us. Maybe someday we'll even get married. I won't hold my breath for that one, and you shouldn't either.

To new beginnings middles.

Weekly Recap (training week 5)

This week certainly flew by, as all of the weeks lately have been, but I most certainly did not.  I skipped running on Tuesday and Wednesday which subsequently forced me to run four days in a row. I ran Thursday-Sunday, with my long run (on Saturday) in there as well. I see now why I need to follow the schedule and can't forgo my Sunday run for Monday and my Tuesday run for Friday. I need that rest day in between the others.

Monday: 2.5 miles (total 3.53 miles), avg: 11:22 min/mile
Tuesday: 0 miles
Wednesday: 0 miles
Thursday: 3 miles (total 4.59 miles), avg pace: 11:22 min/mile
Friday: 2.5 miles (total 3.25 miles), avg pace: 11:49 min/mile. When I got home from this run I knew I was dragging, I'm not sure if it's because I had so little energy left from the work day or what, but it was a pretty awful run.
Saturday: 5 miles (total 7.41 miles), avg pace: 12:02 min/mile. Read about my side stitch here (my reason for dragging).
Sunday: 2 miles (total 3.09 miles), avg pace: 12:13 min/mile. This slow time is actually because I ran with my sister, and while she is skinny and works out all the time, her running endurance isn't there. And even though she's slow, I'd gladly run in her company anyday.

I need to stop worrying about my time and focus on finishing, I haven't had any real problems yet but as my long runs get longer I know I will need to adjust my pace, I will need to start fueling and I'll need to stop trying to tell how long it will take to finish 13.1 miles. Who cares? I ran 5 miles on Saturday! That's the farthest I have ever run. Ever! I think I'll set a time goal, and if I finish under that goal I'll be happy. I'll call that goal three hours, 13.1 miles in 3 hours.

Grateful.

Today as I was running, about 1 & 1/4 miles into my 5 mile run, I got a side stitch. As I slowed down to almost a walking pace I thought to myself, "this has to be the worst thing ever." I walked for the rest of the song I was listening to and when I got to a street that I had to cross the light was green so I began running again. The side stitch went away and as I continued on with my run I realized how stupid that sounded. How selfish and lucky of me to think that a side stitch is the worst thing ever when the night before last 12 people were shot dead at the movies.

At the movies. Who does this? I have been trying to wrap my head around how someone could possibly be that out of touch with people, humanity, life (I don't know) to do something so inhumane. Where does this come from? Have there always been mass murder shooting sprees or is this something new to the 20th/21st century?

I've become almost obsessed with thinking about this story, then something too real hits me and I need to stop. Early reports yesterday stated that there was a small child, I think around 6 years old, who was carried out of the theater. She was described as lifeless, there were reports that a witness saw bullet holes in this child's back. I cannot think about this. I haven't followed up on this report because I'm too afraid of it's reality and it will hurt too much.

Today I've learned two things while running: don't push myself too hard (to prevent the side stitches) and if a side stitch is the worst thing to happen to me? Then life is good.

So sorry to those affected by such a terrible tragedy.

Good feelings

Just a quick note:

That feeling when you put on a pair of jeans that you could barely barely button two months ago and they fit with inches to spare? Awesome. Which reminds me, I need to run today.

Edit: I didn't run. Tomorrow.

Growing and Changing

Today my son turns 19 months old, and today I weigh about the same as I did when I was six months pregnant (I gained about 45 pounds total, most of it in my third trimester). Since I started working out (in April) I have lost about eight pounds and at least two inches around my waist (from measurements taken one month apart, June and July).  I think of all I have accomplished physically with my body in the last four months and wonder why I didn't start sooner?  Then I remember my child. I remember the struggle to breastfeed, how much stress it was on my body.  There was no way that I could have exercised and been able to sustainably produce milk.  Even after pregnancy, my body was not my own, it still was something he needed: for food, for comfort, for sleep.  And I had committed to that when I decided I would breastfeed, and I committed to that when I decided to extend breastfeeding past one year.  I could not selfishly stop meeting his basic needs just to lose the weight I had gained.

Now here we are in a new stage of life.  He no longer nurses in the morning, just comes in bed with us to snuggle and giggle.  I don't have that time to rest my eyes just a bit longer.  We stopped nursing at about 18 months, his decision, not mine.  So now we get up early, and I have more time in the morning to use for things that I'm interested in (aside from sleeping).  I have my body back to myself now, and that extra time? I'm using it for running. But in a heartbeat I'd do it all again.

Weekly Recap (training week 4)

What is it with me skipping my Sunday runs?  I think it's the fact that I have two short days off a week to get everything done around my house while still fitting in fun quality time with my family. And on Sundays running just doesn't fit in.

I have gotten to the point that I legitimately enjoy (read: love) running. I look forward to my long Saturday runs (though the longest to date has only been 4 miles), though sometimes I look even more forward to my cool down walks home. Generally they are only about 15-20 minutes but I use this time to reflect on my run, my life, that I am becoming the person I want to be. It's my "me-time," and the fact that I get to do this 4+ times a week is incredible. So back to running on Sundays. I think for now, until I can grow more time, I'm going to forgo my Sunday runs and run on Monday. This is of course actually until I need to start running on Mondays as part of my training (if I do at all).

Week ending July 14th running stats:

Sunday 0 miles
Monday 0 miles
Tuesday 2 miles (2.65 miles total) avg: 11.23 min/mile; an evening run, my first yet. I enjoyed it but I get worried as it gets darker, this is a safe neighborhood but I run alone (and faster it seems based my average time)
Wednesday 0 miles
Thursday 3 miles (4.34 miles total) avg: 11.46 min/mile
Friday 0 miles
Saturday (long run) 4 miles (5.61 miles total) avg: 12.05 min/mile

I skipped last Sunday's run and did not make it up Monday. That was a bad idea. This week starts five days of running, the last four weeks I have only been running four days. This week I'll actually be running four days in a row, M-Th, either CT or rest on Friday and my long run on Saturday. I think this week will actually help to persuade me not to skip these Sunday runs so I can rest on Monday.

We'll see.