Today my kids started swim lessons. I have tried multiple classes with various instructors and yet I still have two kids who can't swim. This year, I decided to bite the financial bullet and sign them up for private lessons at the rec center where I work out. This morning, imagine my surprise when the instructor walks up to us. She is none other than the chatty spinning class chick!!! I swear! No lie! I about fell over. I didn't even know she was an instructor there. This explains why the spinning instructor doesn't say anything to her when she and her friend talk through entire classes! And I am now glad that I didn't say anything nasty to her after the spin class...I need her to get my kids swimming!
I managed to sneak in a 6-miler today. The running group I meet with at the track on Thursday's started group long runs on Saturday but we were out of town at a wedding so I didn't run. The schedule only called for 6 which I was happy about because it was easy to make it up today. I ran it super slow though. My plan is to get up early tomorrow and hit the treadmill before my husband has to work and do a speedy 3 or 4 miles. I'm laughing as I type that because getting up super early to run is something I seriously hate but with the kids off of school, it's the only choice I've got! Besides, I've got to get used to it...they meet at 6:30 on Saturday mornings. Yikes.
Oh and one last totally unrelated story. Tonight I took my boys out to see my husband play softball. We haven't made it out to a game all season and this was the last one. Anyway, imagine my delight when some dude on his team popped his Achilles!! Ack! First of all, it just makes my stomach turn to see someone go down like that and the pain he was in was so obvious. All I could think of was how long I'd be down if something like that happened to me while running. But besides all that, my boys were completely freaked out by it. Swell. They'll never play ball again.
6.29.2009
6.26.2009
Back to the Track!
Last night was the first group speed workout at the high school track. It was a lovely 87ish degrees and sticky out there. We did a mile warm up followed by some strides. The workout was then a timed mile (6:58 which I was rather disappointed in because I just lost a lot of steam toward the end) then 2x800s and 6x400s. It was tough. I didn't feel good at all. I think part of the problem was that I haven't done much running lately, I've been a bit of a slacker in addition to being sick. Prior to Run Amuck, I had only run once in 18 days and that was a slow 3-miler on the treadmill. The other issue may have been that I had gone to my strength training class that day too. You forget just how much speed drills take out of you. I don't think the two a days will continue to be an issue once I get used to it (and I don't know how often I'll even be able to make it to that mid-day class) but yesterday I was totally exhausted.
I got home from the track at 8:15, jumped in the shower then stood in the kitchen looking at the fridge waiting for something to magically appear cooked and ready to eat. Since it didn't, I fell into bed and passed out by 9:00. I know, I really need to eat something after such a big workout day but I just wanted to sleep.
So. I believe I've got a lot of work to do friends! It was good to get out there though. I know that despite how tough these Thursday night workouts can be, they really help shave time off your races.
6.24.2009
Run Amuck Race Report!
Run Amuck was so much fun, I can't even tell you! I guess I'm not all that surprised that I loved it so much - my inner tomboy was in heaven!
We drove down to Quantico on Friday evening and went straight to the base for packet pickup. Did you know that on base, they have an entire building and and staff for the MCM race events? Obviously the marathon in October is their biggest but now with the half marathon in the spring and various smaller events, coordination is a full time job! Anyway, we got out packets and watched about 5 minutes of video from last years race (which I'll admit, freaked me out a bit) then on our way out, found a very helpful (and large) Marine who pointed out where all the obstacles on the course were. Sufficiently scared, we headed to our hotel. As I was prepping my gear for the next day, I grabbed my shoes to put on the d-tag only to find that I had no soles in my shoes!!!! The shoes I wore for this race were the same ones I wore for the Shamrock Marathon. After that race, I bought new shoes. When I did, I pulled my orthotics out of the Shamrock shoes and put them in my new ones but obviously never put the cushioned soles back in the old pair. So. I had to run this thing with no soles and let me tell you, you can feel every little pebble when there is no cushion in your shoes. I doubled up my socks but I'm not sure that helped much.
Saturday morning, I rode to the base with two friends who were also running. They were so excited and super chatty but for some reason, my stomach was doing flip flops. I'm really not good at facing the unknown and this race was about as unknown as it gets. I had no idea what to expect and it was really getting to me. We were in different waves - I was in wave 6, they were in 12 - so I quickly got up there and waited for my start.
We started by doing a half lap around the track then we hit the streets for about a mile and a half. I wanted to run the street portion quickly because I was assuming there would be a lot of walking once I got into the woods. It was really humid and I was still coughing quite a bit from this chest cold so I only managed a 7:40 for that first mile.
There was a water stop at the edge of the woods then you hit the trails. We have gotten so much rain in Virginia lately that the trails were essentially mud. It was challenging because it was so sloppy and slippery that you had to really pay attention to each step. We hit a few hay bales then two sets of tires. Then the hills started. I can't even describe these hills. You would literally run straight up - and it was rocky and slippery - then once you got to the top, you could see the next one straight ahead. It was like a roller coaster - yes, seriously! Downhill was a bit tricky again because of the wet surface. I was able to run....ok, jog....most of the hills but there were a few that I only made it halfway up and had to walk the rest. One of the hills was so steep going down that they had ropes that you were to grab on to and go down backwards. That was really hard for me because I was so worried about falling.
In between these hills were a few more interesting obstacles. The first mud pit we hit after climbing over a short, a bit higher than waist high, wall. I took a step in and the water was up to my waist. No problem, I thought. I'll just walk through as quickly as I can.
Just then, my left foot landed in a hole and I went down. The water came up to my neck! 
I (along with everyone around me as you can see in the picture) started cracking up at that point. It was one of those moments when you are thinking, "Why the hell am I doing this??"
They also had fake barbed wire in the form of caution tape cris-crossed across the trail. You had to do a full commando crawl under it and I swear they hosed down the mud you were crawling through because it was the sloppiest, nastiest mud ever. We also had to go through these giant tubes. They were big enough that I didn't have to get down on my hands and knees but I did have to stoop over pretty far.
The race was so physically demanding. Just totally exhausting. The miles seemed really long too. After we hit mile 3 and there was no end in sight, a woman behind me said, "These must be Marine miles!" When we thought we couldn't do any more hills, we got slammed with another mud pit that you had to crawl out of because you had to go under a cargo net (hard to see in the photo but that black thing is the net you had to go under)...up hill. Trying to get enough traction to pull yourself out while on your hands and knees was so hard. Then once you get through the cargo net, you have to go up this steep hill which they had ropes criss-crossed across so you could hold them and try and pull yourself up.
After that hill, we were out of the woods. We ran through a fire hose then back down to the track where we had to run only a quarter of to the finish.
Once I crossed, it took me forever to catch my breath and my husband said, "You look way more exhausted than you did after the marathon!" 
And it was so true. I felt it too! But I'm so going back next year. It was so different and so challenging. I just loved it! (And can I just say, I'm only posting the photo at left as a public service announcement. Please, please, please, when you cross a finish line, do not stop! Do not slam on your breaks! Move to the side! That woman just came to a dead stop and as you can see, I slammed right into her. Seriously people. )
When we got home and I looked at the results, I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw I came in 3rd in my division. 
Never saw that coming! I wonder what my prize is...a jar of mud perhaps?
We drove down to Quantico on Friday evening and went straight to the base for packet pickup. Did you know that on base, they have an entire building and and staff for the MCM race events? Obviously the marathon in October is their biggest but now with the half marathon in the spring and various smaller events, coordination is a full time job! Anyway, we got out packets and watched about 5 minutes of video from last years race (which I'll admit, freaked me out a bit) then on our way out, found a very helpful (and large) Marine who pointed out where all the obstacles on the course were. Sufficiently scared, we headed to our hotel. As I was prepping my gear for the next day, I grabbed my shoes to put on the d-tag only to find that I had no soles in my shoes!!!! The shoes I wore for this race were the same ones I wore for the Shamrock Marathon. After that race, I bought new shoes. When I did, I pulled my orthotics out of the Shamrock shoes and put them in my new ones but obviously never put the cushioned soles back in the old pair. So. I had to run this thing with no soles and let me tell you, you can feel every little pebble when there is no cushion in your shoes. I doubled up my socks but I'm not sure that helped much.
Saturday morning, I rode to the base with two friends who were also running. They were so excited and super chatty but for some reason, my stomach was doing flip flops. I'm really not good at facing the unknown and this race was about as unknown as it gets. I had no idea what to expect and it was really getting to me. We were in different waves - I was in wave 6, they were in 12 - so I quickly got up there and waited for my start.
We started by doing a half lap around the track then we hit the streets for about a mile and a half. I wanted to run the street portion quickly because I was assuming there would be a lot of walking once I got into the woods. It was really humid and I was still coughing quite a bit from this chest cold so I only managed a 7:40 for that first mile.There was a water stop at the edge of the woods then you hit the trails. We have gotten so much rain in Virginia lately that the trails were essentially mud. It was challenging because it was so sloppy and slippery that you had to really pay attention to each step. We hit a few hay bales then two sets of tires. Then the hills started. I can't even describe these hills. You would literally run straight up - and it was rocky and slippery - then once you got to the top, you could see the next one straight ahead. It was like a roller coaster - yes, seriously! Downhill was a bit tricky again because of the wet surface. I was able to run....ok, jog....most of the hills but there were a few that I only made it halfway up and had to walk the rest. One of the hills was so steep going down that they had ropes that you were to grab on to and go down backwards. That was really hard for me because I was so worried about falling.
In between these hills were a few more interesting obstacles. The first mud pit we hit after climbing over a short, a bit higher than waist high, wall. I took a step in and the water was up to my waist. No problem, I thought. I'll just walk through as quickly as I can.
Just then, my left foot landed in a hole and I went down. The water came up to my neck! 
I (along with everyone around me as you can see in the picture) started cracking up at that point. It was one of those moments when you are thinking, "Why the hell am I doing this??"They also had fake barbed wire in the form of caution tape cris-crossed across the trail. You had to do a full commando crawl under it and I swear they hosed down the mud you were crawling through because it was the sloppiest, nastiest mud ever. We also had to go through these giant tubes. They were big enough that I didn't have to get down on my hands and knees but I did have to stoop over pretty far.
The race was so physically demanding. Just totally exhausting. The miles seemed really long too. After we hit mile 3 and there was no end in sight, a woman behind me said, "These must be Marine miles!" When we thought we couldn't do any more hills, we got slammed with another mud pit that you had to crawl out of because you had to go under a cargo net (hard to see in the photo but that black thing is the net you had to go under)...up hill. Trying to get enough traction to pull yourself out while on your hands and knees was so hard. Then once you get through the cargo net, you have to go up this steep hill which they had ropes criss-crossed across so you could hold them and try and pull yourself up.After that hill, we were out of the woods. We ran through a fire hose then back down to the track where we had to run only a quarter of to the finish.
Once I crossed, it took me forever to catch my breath and my husband said, "You look way more exhausted than you did after the marathon!" 
And it was so true. I felt it too! But I'm so going back next year. It was so different and so challenging. I just loved it! (And can I just say, I'm only posting the photo at left as a public service announcement. Please, please, please, when you cross a finish line, do not stop! Do not slam on your breaks! Move to the side! That woman just came to a dead stop and as you can see, I slammed right into her. Seriously people. )
When we got home and I looked at the results, I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw I came in 3rd in my division. 
Never saw that coming! I wonder what my prize is...a jar of mud perhaps?
6.20.2009
Mud Mud Mud Mud Mud....and More Mud!
Holy awesome dirty filthy mucky hilly crazy race! I had a BLAST! It was probably the hardest thing I've ever done - yes, I'm including a marathon - but it was fantastic. And I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but I took 3rd in my age group - WooHoooo!
RENAE #563
LEESBURG, VAAge: 39 Gender: F| Distance | 4M |
| Clock Time | 43:01 |
| Chip Time | 42:55 |
| Overall Place | 171 / 1094 |
| Division Place | 3 / 102 |
6.19.2009
Heading to Quantico!
And I'm kinda about ready to flip my shit. The more I hear about this race, the more scared I get! This morning, I heard from a friend who spoke with a Marine who ran it last year and he warned her that the 'hills are killer' and that for most of them, you need a rope to help you up them. Um, anything that a freaking Marine thinks is killer I'm guessing will either kill me or at least make me barf. Also, we've been warned that we should wear long pants and long sleeve shirts because of all the crawling under barbed wired and throwing ourselves over tall walls. Uh, yeah. So I've got that to look forward to. I'm having this really awful flash back to elementary school when we had to do the rope climb in P.E. Remember that one? Where all the kids watch (and in my case, laugh) while you try and haul your cookies up that stupid rope that was hanging from the ceiling? If I can't get over a wall and try to walk around it, do you think a Marine will scream at me and force me over the wall?
6.15.2009
Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired
My house got freaking slammed with some kind of upper respiratory/sinus bug from hell and I'm down right pissy about it.
Ahhhh....that felt good.
So, yeah. My husband came down with it first about a month ago and then managed to pass it to little kid who passed it to big kid who passed it to me. For some reason, the sound of constant coughing is something that drives me up the wall and lucky me, that sound is all I've been hearing for a month. And the more I cough, the more my head pounds. Ugh. I had Quinn home sick 2 days last week and Carter home for one. I got it early last week but as I'm sure all you moms out there know, there is no such thing as a sick day for moms! And it's such a busy time around here with the end of school quickly approaching. Class parties, volunteer days, field days, etc, etc, etc.
And if I were not cranky enough over this bug - and, lets be honest, the fact that I haven't been able to work out at all in over a week and a half isn't helping my mood! - we had a rescue dog that we had to give back because he basically wanted to eat my husband. Hang on, I have to cry for a second.....
Best damn dog ever. He was about a year, crate trained, house trained, gentle with the kids, listened to me but he must have had a horrible past with a male owner because one minute he would be hiding in the corner away from my husband, the next minute, he'd be growling and barking at him and I'd have to drag him away. It was awful. So we had to drive him back to the farm and yeah, I may have shed a tear or two. So the search for the family dog continues.
In other news, the Run Amuck race in Quantico is this Saturday. I'm kind of freaking out about it because I can't walk up the stairs without having a coughing fit and being winded for 10 minutes. Not sure how a 4 mile obstacle course is going to go. Cross your fingers that I don't pass out. We leave on Friday right after school for the drive down. Should be a lot of fun because some friends of ours are also going so we got into the same hotel with a pool and will be able to just hang out and enjoy ourselves while the kids play in the pool Friday night. I'm just glad the run is only 4 miles or I might have had to pull myself out. The boys are super excited for their run though so we are going and we are going to have fun damnit!!
Bet you are sooo happy I posted. Geesh. Lighten up whiny.
Ahhhh....that felt good.
So, yeah. My husband came down with it first about a month ago and then managed to pass it to little kid who passed it to big kid who passed it to me. For some reason, the sound of constant coughing is something that drives me up the wall and lucky me, that sound is all I've been hearing for a month. And the more I cough, the more my head pounds. Ugh. I had Quinn home sick 2 days last week and Carter home for one. I got it early last week but as I'm sure all you moms out there know, there is no such thing as a sick day for moms! And it's such a busy time around here with the end of school quickly approaching. Class parties, volunteer days, field days, etc, etc, etc.
And if I were not cranky enough over this bug - and, lets be honest, the fact that I haven't been able to work out at all in over a week and a half isn't helping my mood! - we had a rescue dog that we had to give back because he basically wanted to eat my husband. Hang on, I have to cry for a second.....
Best damn dog ever. He was about a year, crate trained, house trained, gentle with the kids, listened to me but he must have had a horrible past with a male owner because one minute he would be hiding in the corner away from my husband, the next minute, he'd be growling and barking at him and I'd have to drag him away. It was awful. So we had to drive him back to the farm and yeah, I may have shed a tear or two. So the search for the family dog continues.
In other news, the Run Amuck race in Quantico is this Saturday. I'm kind of freaking out about it because I can't walk up the stairs without having a coughing fit and being winded for 10 minutes. Not sure how a 4 mile obstacle course is going to go. Cross your fingers that I don't pass out. We leave on Friday right after school for the drive down. Should be a lot of fun because some friends of ours are also going so we got into the same hotel with a pool and will be able to just hang out and enjoy ourselves while the kids play in the pool Friday night. I'm just glad the run is only 4 miles or I might have had to pull myself out. The boys are super excited for their run though so we are going and we are going to have fun damnit!!
Bet you are sooo happy I posted. Geesh. Lighten up whiny.
6.02.2009
Decision Made!
I finally made my decision about Lifetime Fitness. It took forever but I feel good about it. Meaning, ever since I made it, I've felt very relaxed and haven't questioned it one bit. I decided not to join. It's so strange because I thought I wanted it so bad and the fact that I had my husband on board was, I thought, a sure fire sign that this was a perfect move for me. However, I just kept turning that monthly fee over and over in my head and was having a heck of a time justifying it. And I know my boys would love it for the first few days, but would that enthusiasm hold up or would the noise/running around/chaos of the child care center get old fast? I'd hate to have to drag complaining kids to the gym just so I can work out. I know me well enough to know that I'd feel horribly guilty if that happened. And not only that, but if I were paying $140/month, I'd feel like I couldn't sign the kids up for anything special (short mini camps, etc) during the summer.
So! Now that that decision is out of the way, I'm sure you are dying to know how the hell I plan on staying fit and not becoming a cranky bitch this summer. Right now I'm full of optimism and 100% convinced my plan of action is going to work so hang in there with me and when I start whining by mid-July, please don't say, 'you should have joined the gym!'
First, I am going to purchase a 25-daily admission pass to the rec center where I currently work out because I know there will be days when I will be able to get to my favorite classes. My husband works from home and every now and again, he just may take a lunch break at the noon hour when my class is held. Also, my mother-in-law is in the area and occasionally takes the boys for a day at the pool during the summer.
Next, I discovered that Netflix has 'watch instantly' options for exercise dvds. I must have been living under a rock because I had no idea this was available. I have the lowest of the low membership with them, I can only have one movie at a time, but the 'on demand' feature doesn't count toward that dvd. I have a ton of dvds that I've been wanting to try in my queue right now. My current go-to favorite is 'Crunch: Total Resculpt'. It is 44 minutes and divided into two sections - upper body and lower body. I've done this workout several times and what I love about it is that while short, it really packs a good punch. I feel like I got a great workout and my boys don't bug me. I've made sure to do it when they are around and it has worked great. And if I need to, I can do just one half and cut it down even more. I could finish upper or lower body while they are eating lunch. This may not be a great option for some of you, but I've never had a problem with workout dvds. I actually kind of enjoy them. I'm a huge fan of The Firm and have their big 'ol step up in the playroom. When I can fit it in, the 55 minute cardio workout is fantastic. Lots of step-ups, some weights and short cardio bursts.
I also have a Wii. While I'm not really counting on using this option much, it's available. I have Wii Fit (kinda boring if you ask me), My Fitness Instructor (which I have yet to try), Golds Gym Cardio (fun for short workouts) and I'm seriously considering the new EA Sports Active. The problem with my Wii is that it's down in my dark basement and the kids and I rarely go down there. In order for this grand plan to work, I need to be in the same general area as the kids which is why the dvd/netflix option is such a promising one; I can have my laptop anywhere.
There are other great options all over the web. Make Use Of recently had a posting on Best Workout Websites. They list Exercise TV which is another option I already use (again, great to have a laptop so I can move to different areas of the house) and highly recommend. They have tons of short, free workouts or, you can take it a little further and purchase longer workouts for not a lot of money. I think I'll try the Fitness Magazine Create a Workout option. Even though I subscribe to that magazine, I had no idea this was available.
Then of course there is the treadmill that I have. I can always hop on that after the kids are in bed although, that is probably my least favorite time to get a workout in.
So what do you think? Am I nuts? Think it will work?
So! Now that that decision is out of the way, I'm sure you are dying to know how the hell I plan on staying fit and not becoming a cranky bitch this summer. Right now I'm full of optimism and 100% convinced my plan of action is going to work so hang in there with me and when I start whining by mid-July, please don't say, 'you should have joined the gym!'
First, I am going to purchase a 25-daily admission pass to the rec center where I currently work out because I know there will be days when I will be able to get to my favorite classes. My husband works from home and every now and again, he just may take a lunch break at the noon hour when my class is held. Also, my mother-in-law is in the area and occasionally takes the boys for a day at the pool during the summer.
Next, I discovered that Netflix has 'watch instantly' options for exercise dvds. I must have been living under a rock because I had no idea this was available. I have the lowest of the low membership with them, I can only have one movie at a time, but the 'on demand' feature doesn't count toward that dvd. I have a ton of dvds that I've been wanting to try in my queue right now. My current go-to favorite is 'Crunch: Total Resculpt'. It is 44 minutes and divided into two sections - upper body and lower body. I've done this workout several times and what I love about it is that while short, it really packs a good punch. I feel like I got a great workout and my boys don't bug me. I've made sure to do it when they are around and it has worked great. And if I need to, I can do just one half and cut it down even more. I could finish upper or lower body while they are eating lunch. This may not be a great option for some of you, but I've never had a problem with workout dvds. I actually kind of enjoy them. I'm a huge fan of The Firm and have their big 'ol step up in the playroom. When I can fit it in, the 55 minute cardio workout is fantastic. Lots of step-ups, some weights and short cardio bursts.
I also have a Wii. While I'm not really counting on using this option much, it's available. I have Wii Fit (kinda boring if you ask me), My Fitness Instructor (which I have yet to try), Golds Gym Cardio (fun for short workouts) and I'm seriously considering the new EA Sports Active. The problem with my Wii is that it's down in my dark basement and the kids and I rarely go down there. In order for this grand plan to work, I need to be in the same general area as the kids which is why the dvd/netflix option is such a promising one; I can have my laptop anywhere.
There are other great options all over the web. Make Use Of recently had a posting on Best Workout Websites. They list Exercise TV which is another option I already use (again, great to have a laptop so I can move to different areas of the house) and highly recommend. They have tons of short, free workouts or, you can take it a little further and purchase longer workouts for not a lot of money. I think I'll try the Fitness Magazine Create a Workout option. Even though I subscribe to that magazine, I had no idea this was available.
Then of course there is the treadmill that I have. I can always hop on that after the kids are in bed although, that is probably my least favorite time to get a workout in.
So what do you think? Am I nuts? Think it will work?
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