Swim

Since I am trying not to run too many miles, I have added swimming. And thanks to my friend Kim, I now know a little bit more about swimming and can do an OK crawl. Thank you!

This is motivating me to buy a few new items. Swim goggles (because my 3 year old son's goggles just don't cut it), swim cap (hair in face not helpful), and a new swim suit. OK so the new swim suit is not really a good 'swimming' suit, but it was too cute not to get.

Yep, me in a two piece. I haven't been in a two piece since I was 4 years old. So here I am trying to be cool like Kim and flex my muscles.

Getting there. Sure I still have that 10 (now 14) pounds to lose. I'm sure it's all muscle that I've gained. :) Right? Laugh and run on, my friends!

Core

http://www.koinlocal6.com/content/mediacenter/default.aspx?videoId=15210@koin.dayport.com&navCatId=426


Here is Remy with NWPT showing some core moves. Look how cute she looks in skirtsports. She was kind enough to let me dress her for this piece.

One of my favorite blogs....

http://annfoxlee.blogspot.com/

I love her blog. I command you follow her. When she releases her book you will thank me!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Yesterday was my mother's birthday. The kids and I made her an angel food cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. The girls were in charge of the sprinkles and Ayden had candle duty. Apparently Zander's job was to lick the frosting whenever possible. Cute, but messy.

Each kid made a card for Grandma and some pretty flowers that were, can you guess? Pink and purple of course. I made my tasty spaghetti for mom with a heaping side of broccoli. And for the evening I made my mom be in my fashion show. Here is how awesome my 72 year old mom looked...

(sorry mom for cutting your head off on this one. It's my phone, not you)

We had fun, giggling and dressing up. One gal came up to me and said, it's so fun watching you guys get along so well. And you know I do take that for granted. We do get along and have fun because life is too short. I'd like to think my mom comes over to help me out by watching the kids while I go workout or run, but really it's not for me. I know because my mom tell's me. "Angela, I don't watch the kids for you. It's for me. I love playing with my grandbabies." This just confirms what I thought. I am not Angela; I'm my kid's mom. The transporter of cute kids. It's easy to get lost in the day to day and not being anything more than my kid's mom. Which is more than enough for me. But the selfish side of me loves being known as Angela, too. Getting out and being around my running friends remind me that I am fun to be around, despite what my kids say. That my jokes are kidda funny (or I have really nice friends that laugh at my jokes anyway). I'm just so happy that my 'me time' is something healthy that my children want to emulate. So what do you portray to your children? Is it a happy healthy mom? Or are you watching too much Oprah? Get out and go for a walk or run with your kids. Better yet, so some sit ups with them. You will never laugh so hard as you will watching your kids do sit ups or push ups. Really worth a good ten minute belly laugh.

One thing I do with the kids at least three times the week is play PE. This is fun because the kids want to work out like mom does. We do 8 count body builders, sit ups, yoga, Pilates, sometimes I'll bring out 2 lb weights and they do little curls. We keep it very light and only 10 at the very most. Then I become their jungle gym and I help them do flips or I just run around tickling them. See, now my kids think working out is fun. Go have some healthy fun with your kids. Laugh and run on, my friends!

MIA


I've been swamped. This last week and this whole next week is being taken up with moving. The hard part is that I'm still not 100% recovered from the surgery. So I don't have all my usual energy. I think the hard part is trying to find the time for the kids. This week I have not been successful on that front of my life. Sure I've been very selfish and have been working out twice a week, but I haven't made the time to take the kids to the park. It has shown up in the kid’s behavior this last week. I've noticed that when they don't have fun mom time they act up more. Here I am trying to make more fun time with the kids while getting in my runs, workouts, now work, cleaning, yada yada. I guess the house can be a messy for a little bit.

So I talked to my coach and we discussed my lofty goals. My friend rat finked on me to my coach about how I want to BQ for my first marathon. This was not at all shocking for my coach to find out. Let's just say I'm overly ambitious. Yeah, that's what we'll call it. Since the Eugene Marathon is 11 weeks away I know I won't be in the shape I want to be to run a 3:30 marathon. Here is a compromise that will make me still work hard. Because really that's what I like. Seeing how far I can push myself. I know in the longer distances I lose it mentally. I will strive to hold a 8:00 pace for a half marathon. Now that is one lofty goal. Since I've only managed to run 7:30 in 5K's. How the heck am I going to run that for 10 additional miles?


Here is were I have a lot of trust in my coach. This is a scary thing for me, but I'm giving her the full scale power over my training. No second guessing her, and I won't because I really do respect and trust her. I told her not to sugar coat it and say she thinks I can do it if I have no way of getting there in time. She said it would be really hard work, that I do absolutely believe. I don't want someone to tell me they think I can achieve something to make me feel better, I don't need an ego stroke. I want honesty. I'd say don't we all, but not everyone wants honesty. Odd, but true.

(Ahhh, sleep!)

She made me promise that I would sleep more (nice kettle..uh this is pot), take two days of 'real' rest days, double running days, get into the pool more and less road pounding, and lots of fartlecks/tempos. OK, this is a tall order. I'll do it. I think this will make my 5K's really strong by this summer. So the game is on. Body don't fail me now. Laugh and run on, my friends!