Race Updates

For those of you who are following the Race Challenge, here is an update.

Ted has increased his running from 1 mile to 3 miles at a 10:30 pace. Very impressive for a non-runner wearing 2 year old running shoes.

I have gone from running 10 minutes at a time to running a consistent 3.2 miles in about 30 minutes. I had told Ted a couple weeks ago that I had run 3 miles in 25 minutes figuring that he would call my bluff, but he didn't. Since then I have admitted to him that I am not nearly that fast. I would be interested to see what my pace is without the jogger, but really what is the point as I doubt I will run without it for a couple years.

I met a woman today at the end of my run who was jogging with one baby in a double baby jogger. When I inquired as to the empty seat, she said she had some presumptuous in-laws:).

I have been told that the race is not that big and that maneuvering with the jogger shouldn't be too much of an issue. I just have to conquer some hills. So things are still looking good for me to take the prize (and by prize I mean bragging rights).

Despite the winning and the bragging, I am glad I had this challenge presented to me. It has really helped me to push myself in my running and I feel much stronger because of it. So bring on the 10K!

Oh and I saw "dad" again today. He didn't smile today, but I know he was still watching.

Lounging by the Pool

Nic got a new swimming pool last week. It's about 3ft x 5ft and just big enough for the whole family to fit in. We do have a neighborhood pool, but going down there with a baby requires too much of a commitment. Nic loves to sit and splash in the water and chase his water toys, but his attention span is still too short for a public pool. Besides, if I went to a neighborhood or public pool we would have to deal with other bathers and I'm just not up for that yet. Maybe once he is walking, but not now. So anyway, we blew up the pool and spent a little time splashing around. Nic dunked his face in the water and got over that initial startle of being submerged. Much fun for all. To the right is the picture Ted took. I think Nic is saying "please Dad, I'm naked".

Ghosts

I saw a ghost while running this morning.

Nic and I had headed out early this morning to run before it got too hot. If you haven't followed the race challenge between Ted and I, please read Run Dana Run two posts back. I had prepared a training schedule that increased my running time by about 2-3 minutes each run. However, I am way ahead of schedule having increased my run time from 10 minutes to 30 minutes in 2 weeks.

This is where the ghost comes in. I was running this morning and had just made a personal best time for running since I stopped running when I was about 3 months pregnant. Of course I felt pretty good about myself. It was then that I looked out at the traffic going past me and saw a navy blue Jeep Cherokee driven by an older man with a grey beard and ring of grey hair around his head. He was wearing a faded bluish t-shirt and as our eyes met, he smiled at me. Even though I know its not possible, I could swear that it was my dad. First I smiled, and then laughed a little at what I thought I had seen, and then I got a little teary which made my throat start to tighted, which isn't good while running, so I went back to smiling. I felt a very real sense of him telling me "good job". As I looked through the skylight of Nic's jogger, I felt that running wasn't the only thing he was telling me good job on.

Nic is Crawling

Nic is crawling, like honest hand-knee-hand-knee crawling. He was been jumping like a frog and maybe getting one knee or one hand but not both. This is good and bad all at the same time. Just thought I would let you all know.

Run Dana Run

Almost everyone reading this blog knows I have been working out for years, since I was 15 to be exact (and I am much older than 15 now). I've done high impact aerobics (in thong leotards); I've done step aerobics (with steps made of wood); I've done hip hop aerobics (seriously I did), I've done the slide (and I don't mean the electric one); I've done indoor and outdoor cycling; I've done the stairmaster and elliptical for more hours than I could ever hope to count; and I've run (I've even won placks and trophies for running - no cash though).

I say all this because a 5K race should be nothing, right? Our friends in Wilmington invited us (or I may have invited myself, not sure) to join them for the 4th of July and run a 5K race the next day. Ted made the bet that he will beat me in this race. For those of you who know Ted you may think no way (he's not a runner), but here is the history. In 2003 we ran the Cooper River Bridge Run and he beat me by 15 seconds. For the next 3 years I could not live that down. Then in 2006 we ran it again. I, just coming off a half marathon, beat him by 10 minutes.

Now 2 years later and still in good shape (doing some running, indoor cycling and elliptical machine) I should be able to beat him again. Oh yeah, I also gave birth 6 months ago, have run only minimally and will be pushing Nic in the baby jogger for the race. Now I think I can get over the giving birth 6 months ago as I am totally back to normal after that. I can get over the only running minimally by upping my training in the next 4 weeks. However, my speed may suffer in the jogger. Is that an excuse? Probably.
So there, my friends, is the challenge. Wish me and my co-pilot luck on July 5th.

Viva Las Vegas

Ted and I took a couple days to get away by ourselves this past weekend. We chose Vegas because Ted likes to play blackjack and I like to.....go on vacation. It was our first time away from Nic since he was born (or really since March of 2007:)). My mom, bless her heart, volunteered back in January to babysit for the weekend.

It was both a relief and very scary to be away from him. Through my mind raced all the things that could happen. What would happen to Nic if the plane went down? We don't have our will written out yet. Maybe we shouldn't have left without doing that. What if Nic has to go to the doctor, will Mom know that he needs to go? What if I never see him again...? (On top of that I was reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picolt - not the most uplifting book for a parent.) I held back tears more times than I can remember and couldn't hold them at times either.

We arrived in Vegas about 11am and got into our room by 2pm. By then I was so exhausted I could hardly stand up. Since we were on vacation, I thought a nap was in order. However my brain didn't agree with my body and I lay awake for 2 hours trying to sleep. So I showered up and headed to the bar for a cocktail. I walked through the casino and sat at the bar and thought - this doesn't look like the movies anymore. I didn't see anyone resembling Brad P*itt in Ocean's Eleven, I didn't see many women dressed like the women in the tv show Las Vegas (though I was not either). I saw a lot of older women in jogging suits with a hairdo that gets done once a week at the salon. I saw a lot of college boys hauling in their own cases of Natural Light. And I saw a lot of kids. Why anyone wants to take a baby or even a teenager to Vegas on vacation is beyond me.

I went to Vegas 12 years with a guy I was seeing - we had the typical drunken Vegas weekend (but that happens in Vegas..well you know). Then Ted and I went 2 years ago spending part of the time at a convention and the other part walking everywhere and seeing as much as we could. This time I slept a lot (or tried to). I did have some drinks and play some games, but like the rest of my life, this destination changed too. We ate one dinner at the hotel's steakhouse and spend more than I usually do on groceries for the week. But as we sat and ate our expensive entrees and sipped our wine ($49 bottle -eek that's 16 bottles of cheap Chuck) we knew that quiet dinners for 2 were not going to come along too often, so why not enjoy.

Don't get me wrong, if I had to make the choice all over again I would give up ALL the wild weekends for one full of Nic's giggles and spit up.

Thank you to Mom for taking excellent care of my little bundle of joy. I know she went home and slept a good 8 hour sleep free from Nic's nocturnal crying, kicking and scratching of the sheets.

When Did I Lose My Mind?

When exactly did I lose my mind? Was it during birth? In the sleep-deprived weeks after? I'm not sure when it happened, but it happened.
But don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining, it's just funny. I talk to Nic and myself all day long in different voices, making up songs for every little thing we do. Some of my favorites:
"Falling Off the Couch"
"Poopie on the Butt"
"Babies with Pacis"
The list goes on and on.
Not that I was using a ton of brain power before I had him, but ......come to think of it......this is much more creative! I can come up with a jingle off the top of my head, some even have dances to go with them. If you visit with Nic and I, I may sing and dance them for you, they lose something when written.
Here is Nic in his "look Mom, no hands" pose!