Mommy at the gym and not the road

It is December! 24 more days till the big day. My children are so happy and trying so hard to peek. I usually find this time of year as an essential time to work out and remain sane. When I lived in NY I had to go to the gym because 26 inches of snow kept me inside. When I lived in TX-- 110 degrees kept me inside. During those times I ran on the treadmill, did the elyptical, and in TX I always went to a BodyPump class twice a week. I like the gym, but then moved to KY when the weather is almost always conducive to running outside and I never run inside. What happened was that I got slower. On the treadmill I always had the speed at 7.5 or 8 and ran for 40 minutes. Now I'm outside having a grand old time, but my speed has slipped drmatically. I was forced to the gym because of pouring rain last Monday and loved my time on the treadmill. I walked at 3.8 for 10 minutes, ran at 7.0 for 10 minutes, walked at 3.8 for 10 minutes, ran at 7.0 for 10 minutes and finished walking at 3.8 for 5 minutes. I'll get back to running the whole thing for 40 minutes, but this way I know I'm doing it and truly we can really do almost anything for 10 minutes. I think I'll break down and buy an MP3 player and keep going to the gym for a while. Speed means longer distance in the same time. I once ran 12 miles on a treadmill while training for the Houston Marathon. It was pouring out and I was too frightened to miss a run on the training schedule. It was hell.

Flu shot for KIDS???

Not sure how I feel about the flu shot for kids....this is the second time my little girl has gotten very sick after the flu shot. Now I know that when they inject the flu shot they are giving you the live virus....(did you know this) it is in order for our body to create antigens to fight the virus if ever exposed again. So LIVE virus means YES you can get sick from the flu shot (especially if your immune system is already DOWN). my 3 1/2 year old had hers ONLY because she goes to daycare and around other KIDS, otherwise I wouldn't get her one. WHY do I feel this way...MAYBE because I went ALL my infant/adolescent years WITHOUT it and I am still here! I have gotten the flu 4 times in my life....Twice was after I received the Flu SHOT....HMMMM what does this mean?
The Center for Disease Control is ONLY predicting the strain of FLU that will come around each year...you could still get exposed to another strain and be DOWN with the flu.....so WHY get a FLU shot?
My little girl got PNEMONIA this time.....it started like this....low fever within the 24 hours following the FLU shot......2-3 days following a dry cough....then about a week later still coughing and a running nose....10 days later deep cough followed by HIGH fever, vomiting for 12 hours, then "crackling" in her chest.....a call to the doctor and then a rush visit to the MED CHECK b/c it was Thanksgiving....she has pnemonia.....
She is better now but I am seriously debating whether or not NEXT year I will get in the flu shot.
What are your thoughts?

Not so much a shameless plug

or even a begging-for-ideas post (as I really do have a plethora of my own) but a "what would you like to read about?" query.

here's a(n ugly) link to my magazine column---anything youd like to learn more about?

email me!


http://www.goodlifemag.com/archives/2007/12-07/12-07_Fitness.pdf

Bad, bad blogger.

please to know Im giving myself 0387420478 lashes with a wet (low carb) noodle.

may I pathetically state that, even though Ive been UpToHere with work, life and toddlerville, I still have been working out (not that THAT'S pathetic...I mean using it as an excuse :))

this morning I was thisclose to losing my mind at the gym daycare woman when she sauntered in at 910 (the place opens, technically anyway, at 845) and we (the royal. really my daughter) had a class at 925.

I didnt however.

I smiled.

Tossed, errr, handed over my daughter.

and proceeded to lift weights for the eight minutes I had.

whats the point of my post? (besides NOT MUCH) I command all of you to do what I SO RARELY do: dont blow off the work out but use the time youre given.

happy happy FRIDAY!

What to do when your kids see all their Christmas toys??

Crap. This must be one of those 'what comes around, goes around' moments. When I was a kid, I was....um...lets say a wee bit anxious about Christmas and what gifts I may or may not receive. As a result of my....inquisitive....nature, I may, (or may not - my mother might read this!) have seen a gift or 10 before said holiday. I have never seen any problem with this. I've grown up relatively normal and my parents have never looked particularly distraught.

Fast forward to yesterday.

I shopped like a crazy person on Black Friday for my boys. My husband lugged the loot in and after asking me where I thought they'd never look, stashed it all in the closet in his office. Since he is out of town, they were able to play down in the basement, where the office is, yesterday afternoon. My 7-year-old came upstairs and said "I have to tell you about something that happened in the basement." So I figured something broke and said "What'd you guys break?" and he said "Uh, nothing. But, uh, we were looking for the balls for that pool game and, uh, well, uh, we looked in the closet in Daddy's office." So I was clearly (a) only half listening, and (b) had totally forgotten about the stash so I say "Yeah, ok. Were they in there?" and little man's eyes got all wide and he says "No but there are all these bags in there! With toys in them!!" So I freak and say "No! No no no! No bags! What did you see!?? Tell me!!! WHAT? DID? YOU? SEE???" Ok, note to self: if you want your kid to be honest with you, do not freak and act like a total idiot and make it so damn obvious that you are upset. So he totally back peddles and says "Uh, well, nothing. I saw that it was toys so I didn't look. Not at one single thing! I closed the door!" Then my 4-year-old who can't keep anything to himself to save his life comes up and says "There are TOYS in the closet!!!!! TOYS!!!!!" Crap crap crap. Calm down. So I say, a bit more calm this time, "Ok guys. No big deal. Tell Mommy what you saw." So the big one says "Nothing. We closed the door." And gives his brother a look. My 4-year-old, trying to catch on, says "Well...uh...nothing." So I let it drop. Then about 2 or 3 hours later, my sweet baby who I can get anything out of says "Mommy, why are all those toys in the closet?" and I said "What toys did you see?" and he says, "Well, nothing but I'm really glad you bought that space ship because I always wanted that!" His brother groans and says "We didn't see anything! He probably just saw that through the bag!" So I say "What else did you see honey?" And he says "Oh, uh, well, that robot guy and that car...." My 7-year-old cuts him off "Q! He didn't see anything Mommy."
Crap.

Crouching like a Tiger

Twelve years ago, when I followed a young man to his home country of Germany, I believed myself to be the heroine of a wonderful romance. We married, I had a baby and reality quickly set in.
I was a much different person then. Impetuous? Well, yes. Irrational? Almost certainly. Immature? Rash, quick tempered and ignorant? Yes, yes, yes and yes.
German speaking? Um...no. And that's where reality bit me in the butt. Our apartment was in a small village nestled in the vallies of North Rhine Westphalia. I was the only American for miles around.
So many experiences shaped my identity in the eight years that it took me to correct my error of rash judgement. To say it was a struggle would be an understatement and as much as I would like to let the past remain in the past, the fact of the matter is that I thank God everyday for forcing me to recognize my own strength.
I am now fluent in German. My daughter is intelligent and beautiful. I published a novel and then some. I discovered that I can run a mile straight uphill in 20 degree weather. Perhaps most notably, I learned to respect myself enough to walk away from a mentally abusive marriage.
It is who I am, although that kind of strength and determination is no longer required in my everyday. But it's there. Crouching like a tiger.

Cool New Vitamin/Energy supplement found

Just a quickie~~~~~~
I did an impulse buy on the internet for antioxidant/vitamin/energy supplements. It is a 2 week free supply for only shipping ($3.95). I figured, why not? Lance Armstrong supposedly uses it. I wasn't even sure anything would arrive after I submitted my order. I DID get a box about a week later and now am addicted. This stuff is like crack for a busy mom. I'd rather have it than my coffee in the morning. It is an never ending supply of energy with out the caffeine jitters/up-set stomach. Anyways, give it a try for $3.95. Read everything though. If you you don't love it you have to call and cancel any future mailing. I am keeping mine coming but changing the monthly shipment to every other month. And NOOOOOOO they are not paying me for endorsing their product. It just isn't very often I find something that works so well!!!
www.healthyenergy.com

Happy Baby

I downloaded the Happy Baby coupon (fresh frozen organic baby meals, sponsor of seeMOMMYrun) and look forward to trying out the new product. Which grocery stores sell it?

See Mommy at the Reunion

It's been too long since I've written. Last Friday night I had my high school reunion. I will admit that I really worried about how I'd look. I was pretty average in high school and am still pretty average so what was I worried about? I will also admit that I HATE to shop and had to go to the stores 3 times and ended up wearing something out of the closet. I had a baby 11 months ago and had not tried anything on in while. My Mom came through with a suggestion of a red dress she remembered and oh miracle, it fit. I got on a plane in KY at 1pm, got to Boston at 5pm, my sister's house to change at 6:30 pm and before that stopped at TJ Maxx to find one of those slimmer panty deals I've been hearing about. No luck there, but some good control top. Did I mention that I left Boston 20 years ago and it seems most of my classmates did not? I had all the turmoil you might think about seeing people after all these years. My hair felt too blond (I was light brown in high school). It was great to see my sister. She and her roommate made me feel good as I trouced out the door wearing heels I've not worn in 13 years (my husband is my height-- no heels w/him). I navigated my way to the hotel and met my brother in the parking lot. He graduated a year before me and sees these people regularly. My best friend since I was 4 years old (the yoga queen) also met me there and boy, was it strange. I walked in and there were two tables set up. I almost attended another high school's graduation till our event person saw me and called me over. For the first hour I was absolutely dizzy with hugs and old faces at the door. It took me that long to get inside. I graduated with 700. We had a good showing. As the night wore on and I got my eyes full -- so much came to me. First, it was so not about what we looked like now. It was who we were then.

I was a non-gossipy, friendly person in high school with nothing for anyone to ever be jealous about. People were happy to see me and I was happy to see them. As a generality- the ladies looked great and the men were a bit bald/chubby. But that also was pretty irrelevant. I remember thinking you can tell who works out and who has not. There was one guy who is now a police officer who clearly works out, but he was one of just a few. The ladies on the other hand- walked, did yoga, hit the gym..... When I was in high school I walked a lot out of sheer necessity to get where I was going and not for exercise. Also, I made sure to attend the Red Sox game that took place on Patriots Day in April (did you know Patriots Day is only Massachusetts?- I did not until 1990). That same day is the Boston Marathon and I would get with some friends and watch the runners come in. At that time in my life I would have thought I'd be a more likely candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize and never a Marathon finisher.

One of the things that hit me most was what you told people about yourself. I first mentioned my Army husband, my 4 children, my service in the Army and not at all that I am a lawyer and once jumped out of airplanes for a hobby. It is all about being a wife/Mommy for me and it felt so good to really be proud of those things. I really am so happy to be able to love on my family. I think being 43 is so great. I'm so much more comfortable than ever before.

Another good deal-- my husband got my 11 month old to sleep through the night (I was only gone for 13 hrs) and now she is doing it each night. It is a good thing I did not teach him how to nurse before I left. Now I'm sleeping through the night too! Did I mention that I came in at 2AM to my Dad's house and felt like a naught teenager. I flew back home at 0530 and in my families arms by noon. Ahhh, what a great time.

Rain Smain!

I have the most supportive husband ever: he is 100% behind me in my 1/2 marathon dream and will give me an enthusiastic "Go for it!" whenever I ask for a spare hour or so to go for a run. He works from our home and when not on the road, is always willing to hang with our 4-year-old during his lunch hour so I can get a short run in. Today was such a day. I was trying to talk myself into the idea of getting out there because (a) it's my day to run! and (b) it was 58 out and I know these kind of days are soon to be a thing of the past. However, I spent the morning cleaning after having house guests and feeling that overall post-holiday sluggishness (sluggishness?) feelings so I was willing to skip the run and was even preparing excuses when my perfect man came up the basement stairs and said "I'm going make lunch for me and Q so you can go for a run if you want." Seriously? How am I supposed to be a sloth and make some lame excuse after that perfect husbandness?? I quickly geared up and out I went.

My plan was to get in at least my normal 4 mile run but I really think I need to start bumping up my short runs in addition to my long runs. I went out with the feeling of 'go for 4, but 4.5 or 5 would be even better'. I went a totally different route as a last minute decision as well. I got about a half mile from my house when the rain started. It was just a light drizzle and it wasn't cold out so it actually felt kind of good. I stuffed my iPod up my sleeve to keep it dry (I can't seem to find a holder that I like) and kept moving. It stopped as quickly as it started but then 5 minutes later, started back up. This starting/stopping went on and on every 5 minutes or so for a bit but then on the back part of my route, I got to the base of the 'big stupid I hate you bastard never ending hill' hill and it really started to come down. It was one of those moments when I was feeling really into it, having a great run but the combination of the hill and the hard falling rain could have sent me either way. This is one of those times when I realize just how much of running is psychological. I had a little inner chat about how this was no big deal and it worked. Off I went, up that damn hill and I felt great. I ended up running 5.5 miles today which I think is good for me right now, for a 'short run' day. Shows me that even on days when I don't think I can do it, I can. Thanks to my inner chat and my super supportive fantastic and easy on the eyes husband!

Another Health Tip

26 weeks pregnant now and hatin' it! Especially the heartburn! Someone told me sparkling water helps, and the $11 spent on a case of Pellegrino at Costco was a steal!
I am all for herbal remedies, but I like to pop my pills too (yeah, Nyquil!). Obviously I can't do too much of that these days, so I am considering every old wives tale that comes my way. Sparkling water works better than Zantac (Zyrtec...what was I taking???). And I am still swearing by Vicks Vapor Rub on your feet for a cold.

Oh my beloved Spanx

How do I love thee my beloved new Spanx? I love the fact that even though I must jump off the top of my house to get into you, that I look smooth and lean once you are on. I love that you hide those yummy holiday goodies in which I have already indulged.

Ah, yes, if I could write poetry (nope - can't) I would write one heck of a love sonnet to you.

And - I'm definitely not getting any sort of kickback for this endorcement, but - let me tell you - if ANY Spanx products showed up on my doorstep I would definitely NOT complain (wink, wink - nudge, nudge). C'mon little Spanx elves - give a girl some love...