Sleeping and Running

Having a three month old and a running schedule isn't always easy.  We had gotten to a good place: Alfie slept through the night, occasionally waking for one feeding around 3:00.  I fed her at 6:00 and then set off for a run or into the living room for some strength training.  I slept 7.5-8 hours a night. Plenty.

And then this week happened.  It started Monday or Tuesday with baby's first cold.  It was very mild: sniffles, icky nose, a few sneezes, and a girl who wanted to snuggle.  She woke up several times in the night because of her nose (I think).  Then Thursday was my first full day back at work.  Baby girl has had bottles before, but we have not used them regularly.  So Thursday, she decides she does not like bottles.  At all.  Jenn let me know around 2:30 that Alfie still hadn't eaten since I left at 8:30, so I headed on home and fed her.  Same thing that night when I went to Parent-Teacher night.  This meant that she thought she should wake up a whole lot at night to make up for the food she had refused to consume during normal waking hours.  Friday, she managed to take a bottle around 12:45, but she wasn't happy about it.  Friday night?  Yup, same thing.  Yesterday (Saturday), I was with her all day, feeding whenever she wanted, to let her know that (a) she is going to have plenty of milk and (b) we'd all appreciate a longer night's rest. She made it 4 hours before starting the feeding game again.  At 2:00, I tried to walk her back to sleep: no dice.  At 4:00, I was initially successful but then she went ape and I fed her around 5:00.  Have I mentioned that I am a morning exerciser and not good at sleeping in, even when I need it or have a rest day?

All of this sleeping drama should have affected me more than it did.  I should have been a zombie Friday on my first day with students (Yes, we start super early). I don't drink caffeine. I have gotten perhaps six hours of sleep, very interrupted, over the past several days.  But Friday I was fine- perky, even.  Saturday I woke up and ran five miles, beating last week's attempt at the same route by more than two minutes.  And this morning I woke up and ran even though it wasn't on the schedule.

After the past few days, I have become a strong believer in the power of running (or any exercise) to give energy to those of us who simply shouldn't have it.  Overtraining is another story, as is those athletes training really hard with high mileage weeks who need more sleep.  But for me, an average runner logging 15-25 miles per week, I can function on less sleep if I wake up and hit the pavement (or the trail).  Running is a good little alarm clock for my brain.

 I know there are parents of little ones out there who have it a lot worse.  There are three monthers who still wake every two hours every night, and I am so grateful that Alfie doesn't do that. Of course, I still hope that it ends really soon.  Yes, it's possible to get by on six hours of sleep and still be a good mom, teach high school, make dinner, do chores, and run, but eight hours makes it a little easier.

Fall Race Schedule

I've made up my mind about (at least some of) the races I will run this fall.  For me, there's always this tension between loving races and hating paying for them: I am thrifty (that is, cheap).  Regardless, this season I need races to motivate and keep me on track to a spring marathon.

9/15- Miles for Matthew 10k
My goal should be just to finish, since I had a baby three months ago and have never run a 10k.  Instead, I really want to finish in less than an hour.  I think I can do it.  I ran five miles, averaging just above 10:00/mile, on Saturday.  With another month of training and a cooler morning, I should be good.
10/13- Cannonball Half Marathon
Dad and I are running this one together.  He ran it in 2:35 last year and (I think) his goal this year is 2:15, on the road to his first marathon next spring!  I've run this race so many times, and I enjoy racing on the Greenway where I train.
11/22- Greensboro Gobbler 5k
With no chance of getting close to my 5k PR (22:04), I would like to finish under 27 minutes, or better than 9 minutes per mile.  I would be thrilled to adjust this goal down based on the next few months, but that pace would be a big challenge today.  I love the course (Country Park) for training but really really hate it for a race: all those hills!
12/1- Mistletoe Half Marathon
All but the Mistletoe are in Greensboro; Mistletoe is in nearby Winston-Salem, and it's one of the first halfs I ran a gazillion years ago.  I want to run a sub-2:00 race.

I might add in another 5k or two depending on location, free time, and kids' events.  The Bambino wants to race, too, so I'll try to accommodate.  What races are you doing this year?  Any that I should know about?

A Perfect Week

This has been a perfect workout week, and it's been a long time since I've had one of those.  Every morning I've woken up around 6:00, fed the still-sleeping baby, and either gone for a run or done some strength training.  Wednesday, Eden and I went to our last Mom and Baby Yoga class before I head back to work next week.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I ran: 2 miles on Monday; Wednesday and Friday 3 miles each.  Despite the humidity, it feels great to run outside.  Tuesday and Thursday I did my circuit routine.  It's almost the same as the one that wrecked my back last week, but instead of one-legged deadlifts, I did plié squats.  I can already see and feel differences in my abs and arms.

Another thing that made this week so nice is that Eden turned three months old on Wednesday!  She weighs in at a petite 11 pounds, 9 ounces and is cute as a button.  I can't believe how fast we've moved from this...

...to this!

Truth be told, she still loves to be worn and I still do it.  But it's not a requirement now; she can entertain herself, and big brother loves to assist.  She is alert, loves to flirt, and only occasionally screams like a relentless banshee.  Best of all, she pretty much sleeps through the night.  Sure, we have hiccups (last night she woke up at 1:00 for a snack), but most nights she is down from 9:00 to 8:00.  I feed her at 6:00 a.m. for my comfort, not for her hunger.

With this perfect week as a confidence booster, I will (attempt to) run five miles tomorrow.  That's the longest I've run since the Cannonball Half Marathon last October.  It's also a good six weeks before I run the Miles for Matthew 10k, which you can donate to here.  (The race is for Matthew, an amazing boy with Duchenne MD.  I taught with his mom for several years.)  It's my first 10k ever and, while I will not be running especially fast, I would really like to finish in under an hour.  

Will next week be perfect, too?  We'll see...

Oh, My Aching Back!

Last week was the beginning of The Plan: wake up around 6 every weekday morning to work out.  Alternate running with strength training.  Great idea!

I started Wednesday with a nice run with Jack the dog.  We did 2.5 miles and had a great time; I noticed all of the little changes to the neighborhood after being away for three weeks, he peed on anything that stood at least mostly still.

Then Thursday I woke up and did my first circuit workout in, oh, ten months.  (See where I'm going with this?)  I did...

• push-ups (15, on my knees)
• wall squats (one minute)
• plank (one minute)
• triceps dips (12, because I am weak)
• oblique crunches (40, because my abs are awesome)
• one-leg deadlifts (15 each side, with no weights)
• bridges (20)

I did just two rounds of this before The Bambino woke up.  We had breakfast, went to Round 3 of Vacation Bible School for the summer, and then I started to notice a problem: my back was sore.  

I am not a wimp.  I do not take drugs for mere trifles.  So I stretched it out.  Stretching cures everything muscle-related, right?

By evening I could only walk bent forward, a cross between Igor from Young Frankenstein and an elderly crab.  I couldn't really carry Alfie either, and she doesn't weigh much. Friday morning when I awoke and tried unsuccessfully to get out of bed, I knew I was in trouble. My right hip was exactly three inches higher than my left.  I don't think that's supposed to happen.  I was hobbling all day, and it wasn't pretty. By Saturday morning I could walk mostly normally unless I sat for too long, so I tried a run- no go.  It felt like little knives stabbing me in the lower back.  

This morning I tried again, since I could walk really normally and roll out of bed without wincing.  It was really painful at first, but I added in a lot of walking and it eventually got better.  Followed up with stretching, I now feel almost whole.  

This long weekend of discomfort has taught me a few things.  

• Being pregnant and having a baby might make you mentally stronger, but physically you do have to go easy on yourself.  I had done no strength work but yoga for almost a year, so jumping right into it was not smart.  I will continue my plan, but I will work up to the more challenging exercises.
• One-leg deadlifts have to be done with proper form, and at the moment I apparently do not have it.  I'm pretty sure these were the culprits.  In the past I've done them well, but in the past my back, core, and hamstrings were stronger to begin with and they still weren't easy.
• At 31, I feel like I am falling apart.  My knee hurt for most of vacation (due to long drives, I think), and now my back.  Yeesh.
• When I can't run, I get anxious.  Will I be able to run tomorrow?  Should I see a doctor?  Should I just run anyway even though it hurts like Hades? If I run injured, am I going to hurt myself more?  I know the answers to these questions, but I don't like most of them.

Running and Beaching (and Eating)

We've been in Longport for ten days!  We've seen family and old friends, and we've eaten really well (but definitely too much).  Dad and I have also run a few times:
Tuesday, July 3- 2 miles
Wednesday, July 4- 2 miles (1 mile warm-up and then the mile race)
Friday, July 6- 2.5 miles
Monday, July 9- 3.75 miles + a 14-miles bike ride on the Boardwalk

I've meant to run more, but the best time to run is early in the morning and the best time to play spades is late at night.  These two truths are in constant opposition, especially since I like to get 7-8 hours of sleep.

My knee has been feeling funny since Memphis.  It hasn't gotten any worse, and the clicking is better.  Every once in a while, though, I step down and there is a sharp pain which I do not like.  When I google it (which is dangerous), I find that it could be arthritis, or my ACL, or a shredded meniscus, or countless other things.  I think it's a result of sitting and driving too much, coupled with a new pair of Birkenstocks that I wore too much without breaking in.  I will go to the running store when I get home for a more expert opinion, but in the meantime I run because it doesn't hurt when I run.  Risky? Oh, probably.  But so is eating as much food as I've been eating without some meaningful form of exercise.

This is mostly a picture post, so here are pictures:

 The church the day after the fire.

 What's left of the church today, as seen from the labyrinth.

 My oldest friend came for a visit with her husband and two daughters.  Our youngest had the same due date but are actually two weeks apart.

 The older kids, hers and mine, playing on the beach.  So cute, non?

The Bambino at a water show on the Boardwalk.  He was mesmerized!

The Bambino in his first race.  He did not run the whole way, but he really worked hard!

Here he is running his heart out.  He got lots of cheers!

 Tired boy, with medal, bib, and tee-shirt. 

As I post this, he is saying, "I want to run a race again.  A rock and roll race.  Mama, next time if there is a rock and roll race happening, can I run it?  Cause I want to win a race!"  He's caught the bug and I couldn't be more proud.

Crazy Long Road Trip, part 2

From yesterday, but I forgot to post.

We have arrived! In Longport, that is. After a great week in Memphis culminating in Jenn's sister's wedding, we drove 17 hours in two days and now have nothing at all to do for about two weeks.

First off, I survived the hot run at Shelby Farms. My first three-miler in months was hot, sticky, and ended faster than it began (an 8:55 final mile, thank you very much!). I am so glad to be getting back to normal-length runs and to paces that feel natural.

The wedding was amazing. Gorgeous. The Bambino did a fantastic job as ringbearer. Alfie made it down the aisle and then began to cry a lot, but she's a baby and that's what they do. We had a great time at the reception and left the following morning on our journey to the beach.

What have we done so far? Well, I went for a run with my dad this morning. We only did two miles, and that was enought to work out the kinks in my back, hips, and legs caused by sitting for two days while driving. The ocean breeze mitigated the heat, thank goodness.

We have also been watching the construction crew complete the demolition of the church next door, our Sunday home here at the beach for the last dozen years or so. It burned early Saturday morning in a freak storm. We are so thankful it didn't take down the house and that no one was hurt.

My plans for the week are as follows:
- Run at least ten miles, today included, by Saturday.
- Help The Bambino run his first race, the American Mile here in Longport.
- Kick booty with my mom in Spades. And we will, oh yes we will.
- Enjoy family time! This one should really be first because it is my primary goal.

Crazy-Long Road Trip, part one

We are now in the first leg of a cross-country road trip to see family. Well, it isn't really cross-country, since the farthest west we get is Little Rock, but we are crossing a lot of states in a crazy triangle of wedding, beach, and family.

We are in Memphis now for the wedding part, which will be Saturday. The Bambino is the ring bearer and Alfie is an honorary flower girl. ( No, she cannot walk or throw flowers. She has a beautiful dress and will be there. Get it?)

The thing about Memphis, besides the fact that it is enormous, is that it's hot and humid. When people tell you that it's not the heat- it's the humidity, they are talking about Memphis. Tomorrow is supposed to be 104. Gee wiz!

I went for a run Monday morning and felt great despite the heat. I guess it was early enough. Today I am supposed to run with someone else, and this scares me more than a little because I have run alone since Alfie was born and because I agreed to run three miles, which I have not done in almost three months. I ran 2.5 last week, but there is a ginormous mental chasm between 2.5 and 3. We will run at Shelby Farms on a trail, so that may help the heat factor. Fingers crossed.

The kids are doing really well with the long drives, especially the bambino. He has a dvd player in our minivan, but this is the first time he has used it. The boy has fallen in love with Charlie Brown! He laughs and commentates, and we don't have to listen to the movie because he has headphones. I love technology.