Mommy's Running List

Hey! Hi! Where've you been?

2009-03-10T13:13:00.001-07:00

Wow.
I really should remember to update this blog more often.
Let's see...for a while there I was running 9- and 10-milers very early every Sunday morning with a great group of folks here in Athens. I haven't ran with them for a whole month now and I'm really dissappointed in myself for that.
Maybe I'll be able to kick my butt into gear and get out the door to meet up with them this Sunday...especially if I go to yoga class tonight...that should aid me in finding adequate flexibility for such a kick! Ha!
OK.
So, now, though it's not much of anything decent, Mommy's Running List is, at long last, updated!

I love my coffee.

2009-01-21T06:01:00.001-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days.
Here's what I've been doing, exercise-wise:
Thursday I went back to Spinning class - 55 minutes of serious cardio and sweat, sweat, sweat. I'm not even going to mention the sauna anymore. If I go to the gym, the sauna's a given.
Friday & Saturday: no workout either day.
Sunday: Ran nine miles around town with Barry, Eric, Glen, Lanier, Matt, Mark & Whitney.
Monday: Ran five miles around town with Kristi & Madelyn.
Tuesday: Spinning class (only 45 minutes as Jim was filling in for Debbie, whose classes are usually a bit more intense and a bit longer). Still, though, Jim gave us a good steady workout with five "laps" that included a short seated flat, a medium seated climb and a lengthy standing climb followed by a three-minute seated flat recovery.
OK.
That's all for now.
Time for more coffee.

Sweatin' to the "Oldies"

2009-01-15T05:22:00.000-08:00

After Sunday's long run, I opted to take it easy Monday and spent 15 minutes stretching in the therapy pool at the gym before swimming a couple laps in the regular pool.
Tuesday I was supposed to meet Kristi for an early-morning run and a stint on the stadium steps but Nash woke up at 1:47 a.m. and did not go back to sleep until 5:20. As our scheduled meeting time approached, I realized I wasn't going to be able to "sneak" out the door as my "men" slept after all, so I had already called Krist and cancelled.
The day wasn't a total workout-wash, however, as I went to Debbie's 5:30 p.m. Spinning class. As always, it was a tough workout presented in such a way to make attendees have so much fun they forget how hard they are actually working. The theme was '80s music, which is my coming-of-age decade. We sweated buckets as we raced along hills, valleys and straightaways for 55 minutes while grooving along to Duran Duran, A Flock of Seagulls, Guns-N-Roses, Ratt, Madonna, The Pointer Sisters, Bryan Adams, Whitesnake and so on! It was totally rad, dude, like awesome, ya know!
On another note, I finally went to the new Publix yesterday. While the place is certainly a bit pricier than other area markets, the selection of organic foods and gourmet fare is like nothing we've ever had in Limestone County. How wonderful to be able to make a six-minute drive for sushi, gourmet cheeses and breads, and fresh, organic, "exotic" produce instead of having to make the half-hour trek to Madison! Yea, Publix! Yea!

Go long

2009-01-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

Wow!
What a great start to a great day!
At 5:45 this morning, I met up with Madelyn, Kristi, Eric, Glen, Mark & Barry for an invigorating run through the streets of Athens. We started at the track and went varying totals...the guys did 10-plus miles but (because I'm a bit of a wimp still) Madelyn, Kristi and I turned back at about six miles and ended up with only 9.25.
We ran pretty steady the whole time at about a 9-minute pace, which certainly isn't fast but that's much longer a run than I've done at all for the past year so I was pleased with it.
Madelyn & Kristi followed up our 9.25 with a couple of treks up and down the steps at the AHS stadium! OUCH! (Of course, I'm looking forward to the time, a few weeks down the road, when I've finally gotten myself back into shape enough to do the steps with them!)
OK, here's a catch-up of my week since that awesome spinning class on Tuesday. Wednesday I ran three miles in the morning then went to the gym in the evening where I did 15 minutes on the elliptical (including that whole backward rotation thing, again, OUCH!) and spent 15 minutes in the sauna.
On Thursday I spent the whole day in a grant-writing workshop and wasn't able to find time for a workout.
Friday I went to the gym and did 10 minutes on the elliptical, another 10 on the treadmill (torture!), five on the weird side-to-side stair stepper thingy, and then 15 or so on the stationary bike followed by another sweatily glorious 15-minutes in the sauna.
Saturday morning I went to the 55-minute spinning class and, of course, the sauna again.
Today, 9.25 miles.
That puts me at 23.6 miles for the year so far. Not much compared to some of my friends who are running 15 to 18 miles each Saturday, but these are my miles, so I'm going to claim them!

2009-01-09T05:38:00.001-08:00

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A new twist, er...spin on things

2009-01-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

Something new happened yesterday!
I made it all the way through spinning class without even once thinking I was going to die!
And it was the first time I've even been to the class in several months.
Wow!
It was great!
Every single time I've ever taken the class not only have I allowed myself to slack my way through, but I've also - about ten minutes in - always thought I'd absolutely keel over before I finished. But not yesterday. Yesterday, the whole time, I pushed myself as hard as I could push and never once did I want to stop.
It was absolutely exhilarating!
Anyway...so today I ran a scant little three miles at the track and along the Greenway. I may go to the gym this evening, as well. Not sure yet.

Yesterday, today & tomorrow

2009-01-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

Today, nothing.
Yesterday, in the early a.m.: 4.25 miles (2-ish with Madelyn & Kristi, who I encountered just as I was crossing Highway 31 to reach the track); then in the p.m.: 15 minutes on the eliptical followed by 15 minutes in the sauna.
Tomorrow: Spinning class, maybe.

Rain, rain went away

2009-01-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Just as I was about to head out the door for a run around 8 this morning, the rain came fallin' down. I was rather disappointed. Since I was already dressed for a workout, I went to the gym and by the time I got there, the rain had stopped so I stashed my gym bag in a locker and took off on the course of a now-defunct 5K that starts & finishes at the park right next to the gym.
What a wonderful, cool morning it was!
When I got back to the gym I climbed on the eliptical for 15 minutes, alternating backwards and forwards for the last six minutes.
Then I sat in the sauna for 15 minutes.
What luxury!
I MUST do this more often.

Just call me Olive

2009-01-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

No run today.
Went to the gym instead, sat in the sauna for 15 minutes, got out, cooled off, and went back in for 10 minutes more.
It's been way too long since I've done that and it FELT GREAT!
I was so wonderfully relaxed afterward. It was absolutely worth skipping the workout.

Before I got in the sauna, I weighed on the medical scale in the dressing room.
121.
How can that be? I eat junkety junk food as much as I want and, let's face it, I haven't really been on top of any real exercise regime in the last few months.
Ugh.
Must build muscle!
Despite what those on the other end of the scale may think, being scrawny-fied is NOT the gold at the end of the diet rainbow.
Ugh. I mean, really, nobody ever holds Olive Oyl up as the epitome of good health, now do they?

Speaking in generalities

2009-01-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

Today, as I was eating black-eyed peas and greens with the inlaws, I decided to look up the why-withall of this New Year's Day tradition...so here it is...courtesy of wikipedia.

"Hoppin' John is the Southern United States' version of the rice and beans dish traditional throughout the Caribbean. It consists of field peas or crowder peas (black-eyed peas) and rice, with chopped onion and sliced bacon, seasoned with a bit of salt. Some people substitute ham hock or fatback for the conventional bacon; a few use green peppers or vinegar and spices. Throughout the coastal South, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a year filled with luck...The peas, or beans with little black “eyes,” signify coins. Fill your plate with them and your cup will run over, as in the 23rd Psalm, perhaps. Collard greens along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year, it is hoped."

So, there you have it.

There's no tradition, really, to eating strawberry swirled cheesecake for breakfast, but that's what I did this morning. It was yummy but I sure did feel all heavy and slow on my pitiful little four-miler just now.
Oh, well.
Still, four miles after having cheesecake for breakfast is better than no miles after having cheesecake for breakfast, right?
Maybe there is a bit of tradition to be established here, though. The reason I ate the cheesecake in the first place was because I have decided to allow myself more little luxuries and enjoy life more. For me, getting out and running four or five miles almost every day is just about the ultimate in luxury. So, maybe that'll be an easy resolution to keep.
Another luxury I afforded myself today: I got out the door bright and early to take Nash to the park. We fed the ducks and played on the slide and just generally enjoyed each other's company.
Then, while grocery shopping, I bought two avocados, some sour cream, green onions and multigrain Tostitos. Later tonight, I'm gonna make myself some guacamole for no reason other than I like guacamole.
So, there!
Happy 2009 friends!

Christmas morning

2008-12-26T02:22:00.000-08:00

I love everything about my boy!
Even in the hoopla of discovering that Santa had left a veritable wonderland of new toys for him, he wanted to stop and read one of his new books!
Of course, we only made it about four pages in before he closed the book, said "the end," and hopped down to play some more...but, still...

Girlfriends

2008-12-22T05:19:00.000-08:00

Here's the annual "chick pic" from our Friendly Christmas Party...which we've had every year since 1995 (except 2005). Each year, the chick pic is a little different...depending on people we've met and befriended anew and which old friends have new babies at home or kids in Christmas plays, etc.,and thus don't attend the party that year.

Yvette, Lisa, Shelly, Sabrina, Amanda, Tanjie, Rita, Angie, Cathy
*********************************************************************
And here's my other group of girls...the ones who came into my life when I became a "fitness freak" back in 1993. This was my first GNO with them since a month or so before Nash was born! Again, who's who at our GNOs changes up depending on which grown daughters come along, who's working late or out of town and new friends made along life's busy path.

Sally, Kari,Cathy, Tanjie, Alison, Debbie, Laura, LeAnne, Rhonda, Casey
************************************************************************************

2008-11-30T07:11:00.000-08:00

Ran five miles this morning: From home, to the track, around to the Greenway, out & back, then the rest of the track and back home again.
It was raining when I got up at 5:30 a.m. but by 7 it had stopped so, at 7:15, I took off running. Not one drop of rain hit me on my run. I returned home, and as I was sitting on the back steps unlacing my shoes, I heard pat-a-pat-pat-a-pat-pat as the the rain began anew.
God sent Mother Nature on my run with me this morning, huh?
Anyway...that caps off my week at 12 miles. Which isn't where I want to be but at least it's getting closer.
I'll be back on top of 20-mile weeks in no time!

Bit by Bit

2008-10-29T04:05:00.000-07:00

I'm still out there, just not managing much in the way of blog posts.
Ran 3.25 Sunday with a significant improvement on the pace, then ran 3.6 (was gonna do 3.5 but overshot a bit) yesterday, holding steady on Sunday's pace.
I'm loving the cold weather. Maybe that'll motivate me to take off and just go on a more regular basis.
We'll see.

5.25 pushing 30

2008-10-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Took Nash for a run this morning. Started at the Sportsplex at the street edge of the Kids Dugout parking lot, ran along the soccer sidewalk and into the woods, did the entire Greenway to 72 and back. 5.25 miles. (It would have been only 5 but I had to back track a bit at one point when Nash told me his toy was "back there, on the floor.")
It was a bit warmer than I would've liked, but still, it was great!
Also, for a moment I thought I had found the Swan Creek Greenway Sculptor. But it turned out to just be the Swan Creek Greenway Restoration Artist. (I saw a man up ahead arranging stones while his wife stood by, waiting. When I caught up to them I called him the Sculptor and it turns out that they just enjoy the Little Altars and he likes to stack them back up whenever they see one that has been knocked down. They seemed like a nice young couple - he's 83, she's 81.)
Isn't it wonderful how exercise makes people so much happier & friendlier?!

Three Days Running

2008-10-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Three in a row, believe or not!
Maybe -- I won't declare it as a certainty just yet -- but maybe I'm back on track.
Ran 4.5-ish this morning.
Again, beautifully cool weather. It was 46 degrees when I started out.
Aahhh.
Now, if I could just get my diet on track.
And I don't mean I'm on a diet, I mean, I need to eat enough food. I need to ditch the Doritos and M&Ms and consume more nutritious calories and probably at least some protein every now and then. And I need to eat actual meals instead of a handful of this and a handful of that whenever I feel a bit hungry.
Today I've had two Morningstar veggie dogs, two cups of wild rice, about two cups of sweet pea salad with edamame mixed in, and three peanut butter cookies. Oh, and a handful of peanut butter M&Ms.
Remember last Sunday when I saw the copperhead on the trail?
Well, today I saw something with the potential to be even more dangerous than that deadly poisonous snake.
Instead of going to the track, I ran from home to the Duck & Run course and then kept going past the turn off to the finish line at the park and turned east on Hobbs Street to head back home.
Just as I crossed Hobbs Street northbound on Beaty, there was a woman approaching the stoplight at the intersection. You know how every now and then you see women driving along putting on mascara? Well, this woman had apparently already made up her face and now had moved on to painting her nails.
Seriously! Painting her nails.
I wish I were making this up, but I'm not.
At least with a deadly poisonous snake, you usually have to provoke it before it does any harm.

Not 5, exactly.

2008-10-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

OK. So, that Greenway times two out-and-back with a bit of track mixed in only totals 4.6 miles, not the five I thought I'd gotten in yesterday.
Brian measured it with his Garmin this morning when we ran while taking turns pushing Nash in the jogging stroller (Brian actually did most of the pushing this time.)
Anyway, we ran a little extra when we got back to the Sportsplex to make for a 5-miler.
Nice, cool weather! I love it!

WooHoo! (& Ouch!)

2008-10-17T07:52:00.001-07:00

Five miles this morning.
Dropped Nash off at playschool and drove directly to the Sportsplex. Ran the first portion of the Greenway, hopped on the track and ran that little leg behind the baseball field and the high school then hit the newer portion of the Greenway behind the tennis courts at the park. Then, of course, I had to turn around and go back to the Sportsplex. So, thats 1.2 & 2.4 for the two Greenway sections and then another 1.2 - 1.4 along the track. So, Five.
It felt wonderful!
The weather is overcast and wet - it rained all afternoon yesterday and most of the night, too.
It was 59 degrees when I started out and, in fact, my digital thermometer reads 58 right now.
Ahhh! Perfect running weather!
Not only that, but I shaved about a minute per-mile compared with Sunday's run.
WooHoo! (And, a little bit of Ouch!, too, but nothing some good stretching won't cure!)

Half & Half

2008-10-17T05:20:00.000-07:00

Nash & I went for a split-in-two run on Tuesday afternoon. It really only totalled about 2.75 miles. I'd been planning to load up the jogging stroller around 5 and head over to the track with my boy when Glen King called around noon to make sure I knew about the Athens Bible School Cross Country Invitational which was to begin at 4 o'clock at the Sportsplex. (I didn't. Thanks, Glen!) Photos and results from the meet made for a few great entries to North Alabama Runner.
So, anyway, Nash & I loaded up and got to the track at 3:30, instead of 5. We ran from the Rec. Center to the woods behind the ballfield and then ran the out-and-back through the woods 1.5 times, getting to the Sportsplex just in time for the beginning of the JV two-mile race.
We stayed for both the Varsity 5Ks (the Girls ran at 4:30, the Boys at 5:10) then ran back through the woods and back to where we parked at the Rec. Center.
I had never been to a Cross Country meet before. It was a cool experience and Nash seemed to enjoy it as well. (His favorite part, of course, was the John Deere Gator that followed the last runner in each race!)

Sprinters & Snakes

2008-10-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

Ran four miles yesterday; the same four miles as last Sunday...with minimal improvement on the pace.
What else can I expect, though, having gotten in only one other run this week -- a scant two-miler on Wednesday morning? Two miles. Sppsshh.
That's all I had time for, really. I didn't manage to get out the door until within an hour or so of when I needed to pick up Nash from playschool.
DadburnAndDoggoneItThough!
I'm determined to get out again this afternoon. I've just finished a lunch of chicken taquitos and a Morningstar faux chicken patty...proper enough fuel when you consider my standard lunch is usually more along the lines of Doritos and M&Ms!
I'll let you know how it goes.

P.S.
I saw the most beautiful Rattle Mouth Copper Moccasin yesterday on the trail! Seriously, though...here's what it looked like:

You'd think my pace would've shown a bit more improvement after the all-out mad sprint I hit after first stopping dead still to allow Mr. Snake to cross the trail about 10 feet ahead. Eeek!
I must admit, though, Mr. (or Ms.) Snake sure was pretty...even if frightening!

Little Altars Everywhere

2008-10-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

Went for a glorious run this morning!
Glorious only because I finally got back out there...not because I broke any speed records or anything. All I did was meet the goal I set for myself as I stepped out the door:
Go four miles, maintaining a steady pace...whatever that pace may be.
And so, I did.
It was a very slow four miles, indeed, but since this was my first run since Sept. 6 and only my second run in 10 weeks' time, I'll consider it a success.
I left home and ran the three-quarters of a mile over to the track and then hit the newest portion of the Swan Creek Greenway. On the trail, just as I approached the underpass at Nick Davis Road, I noticed two little stone altars on either side of the trail. For the rest of the run then, all the way to Highway 72, here and there were more little altars. I enjoyed them immensely and began to look forward to them as I would see them in the distance. So, on the off-chance that whoever did this happens across this blog entry,
Thanks!
Your Little Altars Everywhere provided such inspiration today!

Less, The Sleequel...?

2008-09-27T00:51:00.000-07:00

Here I am again...
A week later...
Still sleepless.

Miserably awake in the middle of the night with no hope of sleep is a lonesome, cold place to be. A place without comfort.

Nash is somewhat better. We had another doctor visit on Wednesday. This time he got an antibiotic. It's doing some good but it's taking time.
Tonight -- now -- just short of 3 a.m., he's sleeping. But moaning, groaning with almost every breath. Not wheezing, mind you, just very vocal slumber.
This after an hour-long uncontrollabe crying jag.
The child is in pain and nothing I try to do for him helps.
It's horrific to watch him suffer and be completely helpless.

If the antibiotic hasn't made a significant difference by Monday, he's back to the doctor.
This time, no guesswork.
This time, I want bloodwork for my child.
This time, we need a real diagnosis and real treatment.
Or better yet, he'll be all better and back to his regular two-year-old self and we wont' even need to go.

Sleepless in Athens

2008-09-20T02:06:00.000-07:00

So accustomed are we earthlings to gravity that sometimes we just keep on walking whether we can see the surface under our feet or not.
Is this an example of faith?
A couple of definitions for the word faith, according to the American Heritage Dictionary as cited at dictionary.com, are

Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.

Some synonyms listed for faith are confidence, belief, trust, conviction.
I arrive at this quandary after walking to the end of my driveway a few moments ago to fetch the morning paper (which, by the way, was not there yet; the time being just past 4 a.m.).
As I stepped along wearing my soft house slippers, it occured to me that I couldn't see where I was walking. Yet I did not feel hesitant at the potential for stepping on something unseen and I certainly had no inclination that the ground would fall away under my feet at any point.
This leads me to the thought that, even though it's been two weeks today since I've gone for a run, I am still a runner.
It's still in my blood just like the ground is still under my feet even when the moon's reflections aren't bright enough for me to see my shadow's fall.
Yes, the ground is still under my feet.
And I am still a runner.
So, then, my sabbatical from running is really nothing more than the proverbial pile of poop left in my driveway by a neighborhood dog.
I might step into it, unseen in the dark, but once I wipe it off in the grass, the ground will still be firm under my feet and I can just keep right on walking.

This is not a list...

2008-08-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

But read on.
There's a link at the bottom of this post to a list of Alabama Superfund sites.

Just happened upon a very interesting, in-depth update on the chronic health problems suffered by members of families unfortunate enough to have called Love Canal "home" back in the 1970s.
Love Canal, is the neighborhood that established the EPA's Superfund list of contaminated sites in need of clean-up. In the 1920s, the site had served as a chemical dumping ground for the Hooker Chemical Company. In 1953, Hooker covered over the 20,000 tons of chemical stew including such ingredients as Benzene and Dioxin and sold the property to Niagara, N.Y., officials for $1. The city -- even though warned by Hooker of the dangers posed by the buried chemicals (the deed to the property stipulated that Hooker would not be held liable for the toxic mess) -- developed the acreage, building an elementary school around which, by the late 1970s, some 800 single-family homes and 240 low-income apartment units had sprung up.

Please do read the article. It's very interesting, stomach-turning and eye-opening.

Not interested in what's happening hundreds of miles away from home? Click here for a list of Superfund sites in Sweet Home Alabama.

No Apologies

2008-08-04T04:17:00.000-07:00

No apologies, no excuses.
No sustenance lists. No training lists.
I have a grocery list today, though, if you're interested.
No?
It's a short one.

shredded cheese
yogurt
Pop-Tarts (they make whole-grain now in strawberry & brown sugar-cinnamon)
ice cream
coffee
creamer
apples
peanut butter
baby corn (Nash loves his "corns")

Don't know if I'll get in a workout today or not. The forecast is something like 97 degrees with a heat index of about, oh, 800 bajillion. We have a digital thermometer that reads both indoor and outdoor temperature. Yesterday afternoon, Brian moved the reader from its usual perch in the shade to the middle of our concrete driveway. In no time flat, the display had shot up to 114 degrees!
Insane!
Of course, that shouldn't really matter. After all, the treadmills at the fully air-conditioned gym are perfectly functional and those membership dues come out of my bank account month after month whether I ever walk through the doors or not!
I wish I could get myself into this mindset:

"Workouts are like brushing my teeth; I don't think about them, I just do them. The decision has already been made."
- Patti Sue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

(Thanks and a little shout-out to Whitney, who always tags her e-mails with wonderfully inspirational quotes!)

Return of the Prodigal Runner-Blogger Mommy

2008-07-28T03:48:00.001-07:00

If I still have any readers after four solid days with no post, welcome and thank you for not giving up on Mommy's Running List!

First, I must give a little shout out to Glen King, a running buddy who gave me a call Thursday afternoon to invite my husband and/or me to join the gang for the Rails to Trails group run. I already knew the where and when and Glen knew I knew. He was just trying, I think, to encourage me to get up and get out and run!
With the meeting time only 45 minutes away and Nash sitting in his booster chair finishing up a Popsicle and looking forward to heading out to the backyard to splash around in his kiddie pool, I, of course, was unable to accept Glen's invitation. It was wonderfully encouraging, though, to find that someone has actually been following my training attempts and frustrations here and was willing to offer a bit of encouragement. (Yes, I know I just used encouraging and encouragement in the same sentence but it's 5:45 a.m., I'm only halfway through my first cup of coffee and I still have to prepare Brian's lunch, iron our work clothes and get Nash and myself ready for his first day of Mother's Morning Out so you'll excuse me, please, for my lack of creative wording. My inner thesaurus just doesn't function properly under these conditions.)

You'll also have to forgive me for not having my DSLs available for the last few days. I haven't been keeping up with my intake. I did have an absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious fresh-from-the-inlaw's-garden tomato sandwich on wheat just before bedtime last night. Mmmmm...no Oreos, no Doritos, just wheat bread, tomato, mayonesa and one slice of cheese.

I'm going to try to make it to the group run this evening, since its at the track just a mile from home, where I usually run with Nash anyway. We'll see.
I'll keep you posted!

My New Favorite Blog to Watch

2008-07-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

The Junkraft is making its way across the ocean to raise awareness about the plastic soup we humans are creating in Earth's waters. The above link takes you to the crew's blog which follows their journey. This link, takes you to a post describing why they're doing what they're doing.
If you are a reader of Space Pebble Mountain, another of my blogs, you may already be aware that environmental issues (primarily our human impact on the environemnt) are of particular importance for me.
Recently, when asked what I'd do if I were a billionaire, among my list of answers was:
Try desperately to help figure out some way to stop and clean up the Trash Vortex, also known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
That's apparently the goal of the wonderful folks aboard the Junkraft. I plan to follow their journey from here on out and I'm absolutely thrilled with the folks at Blogger for featuring the junkraft blog on their Blogs of Note page!!!!

Don't believe the plastic in our oceans is a problem? Check out this photo of the stuff found in the stomach of one dead albatross.
Or this photo of where stuff ends up when it's throw out the car window (as people around here do all the time and several high school seniors even admitted it to me earlier this year!)
Blah!
OK.
There's no list today.
I just really needed to share this. I'm so glad there are people out there, getting all yucky dirty trying to clean up our Earth. The least I can do is sit here in my nice comfy home and try to help a little by spreading the word via computer.

All Fired Up

2008-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I also maintain the North Alabama Runner blog. While updating the race calender just now, I happened across what, apparently, is my 5K PR.

24:32

That was my time in August, 2005 at the Cullman Midnight Run.
Considering that while running last night I hit the 5K mark at 28:46, I'm astounded that I ever ran a 24:32. Go, Me!
Astounded, and chagrined.
Of course, in the ensuing three years, I've gotten pregnant, given birth, and subsequently been mommying for two years and 10 days.
That's not an excuse, though. In fact, the fact that it's been two years & 10 days since I was pregnant, is the opposite of an excuse! That's enough time that I should've established a whole new PR instead of being four minutes off!
In all fairness to myself, though, I did run a 26:35 at Decatur's Frosty Freeze 5K in December 2007. I suppose two minutes off is better than four. Still, I should be doing better than this!
Aaaack!!!

OK. ok.
I'll calm down. All I have to is work my way back down. I know how to do this. I can do this. I will do this.
Whew.
OK.
I'm ok now.
Thanks for weathering my panic, there.

DSL for Saturday, July 19
* Breakfast - whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce & parmesan
* Snack - a banana
* Lunch - two whole grain English muffins with cajun turkey, provolone, lettuce, tomato, mayo & mustard (YUM!)
* Snack - mandarin oranges
* Dinner - a half-cup or so of stir-fried tofu, 6 or 7 black olives & two rice cakes with peanut butter

Ran 3.5 really hot, really sweaty miles.

Another skipped day

2008-07-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Skipped days seem to be a theme with me, huh?
I skip a day running.
I skip a day posting.
I skip a day doing laundry and then it takes three days to catch up!

DSL for Thursday, July 17

* Breakfast: cheese biscuit from Hardee's, a few bites of Nash's strawberry biscuit, small order of hashrounds
* Lunch: NONE
* Snack: two handfuls of raisins
* Dinner: Morningstar rice-veggie-protein patty, salad: romayne, tomatoes, black olives, mozarella, peanuts & ranch dressing
* Snack: two chocolate chip cookies

OK. I'm going to load Nash & the stroller up now and go to the track while it's still only 73 degrees out.
See ya!

40 years, 10 days

2008-07-16T11:42:00.001-07:00

OK, so I ran today. Couldn't get motivated early enough to take advantage of the mid-70 degree morning so by the time I hit the track at 11:30 (behind the 8-10 pound stroller with the 26 pound tot in it) the temp was soaring up into the 80s and the heat index was even higher, of course.
Oh well, after four solid days with no workout, I enjoyed being out there working up a good sweat and a good steady heart rate despite the heat.

DSL for Tuesday July 15
* Breakfast - None
* Lunch - spinach linguine with sauteed tofu chunks, zuchinni & yellow squash
* Snack - what else? Doritos!
* Dinner - salad: romayne lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, cheddar chunks, Boca Chik'n pieces & ranch dressing

Brian and I are planning to run a 5K in Huntsville this Saturday evening. My times have been so pitiful lately, I'll be satisfied if I can just manage to come in under 30 minutes!

What? Two days gone already?

2008-07-15T04:30:00.000-07:00

Staggering!
How did I skip this for two whole days?
Well, remember, this blog is mostly about being Mommy, so that's your answer right there.
My fellow mommy, Rebekah, has three children, aged 3, 22 months, and 6 weeks. She probably would just roll her eyes and guffaw at the idea that I have my hands full.
I know, I know, I have just the one little boy...so I should be able to keep it all together with minimal effort, right?
Ha!
Not so much.
The day has 24 hours, and I spend about 18 of those engaged in the following:

* attempting to do housework with Nash wrapped around my leg saying "Mommy pick you up!"
* playing in the floor with Nash
* reading books with Nash
* playing outside with Nash
* watching PBS or Disney or Scholastic videos with Nash
...well, you get the idea.

I love every moment of watching him grow, learn and play. Still, I have no idea how Rebekah and other multiple-kid mommies manage.
I'm in awe.

In the interest of maintaining some level of brevity, I'll dispense with the DSL for Saturday and Sunday. I didn't do half bad (comparitively) yesterday, though.
DSL for July 14, 2008
* Breakfast - whole wheat English muffin with turkey & cheddar
* Snack - an apple
* Lunch - um...Doritos
* Dinner - baked carrots & wild rice
* Snack - two chocolate chip cookies

I have terrible eating habits, huh? Well,oh well.
Somehow, Nash is developing pretty decent tastes, despite my rotten example.
While he loves Doritos & chocolate, he's also quite fond of apple slices, whole wheat pasta, cheddar chunks, English peas & yogurt.
And he likes to run, too!
When I'm loading up the jogging stroller, he walks around saying
"Where going? Going wunnin? That be gwate fun."
And when I say "On your mark, get set, go!" He takes off giggling and wunnin for about 20 steps before he gets distracted and veers off task.
If only we could get race organizers to park a tractor at the finish line, I'm sure he could burn it up on a one-mile fun run!

OK. That's it for now, time to savor the last of my chocolate-caramel-nut coffee and get the little rascal out of bed and ready for his 2-year-old well-check.
I'll try to get his birthday party pics posted later today on my photo blog.

40 years, 6 days

2008-07-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

Ugh.
Gotta cover two days now, since I never got around to posting yesterday.
First, let me just say, I have a 2-year-old. A very busy, very happy, very inquisitive, very brave 2-year-old.

I'm not a stress eater. When I'm really stressed out, I'd rather not eat.
I'm more of an "exasperation eater." Yup. That's me, an exasperation eater who loves Oreos & Doritos.
Toddlers make delightfully fun company as they explore the big, crazy world. But this exploration can also lead to exasperation for mommies, daddies, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, caregivers and random strangers in the general vicinity at any given moment.
Thursday I was treated to the task of cleaning up scattered and crushed Gerber "nacks" from the floor at Wal-Mart. Then later at home, the sequel: Tigger-Pooh Cereal all across the kitchen floor.
On Friday, an avalanche of Teddy Grahams hit the floor at Kmart, followed by the chips falling where they may as pictured above.
So, instead of blowing my top and emitting a series of primal screams while I ripped great chunks of hair straight from my head, I sat down in the floor with Nash and ate Doritos. And a salty snack always needs a sweet follow, right?
Oreos! Mmmm. (If you haven't tried the new Oreo Fudgees, DON'T!)

Anyway...Today I have to get everything ready for Nash's birthday party tomorrow (including baking the cake) so wish me willpower over the throes of exasperation! Maybe, surely, I'll get in at least a short jog since it's the weekend and Brian's home from work.

40 years, 4 days

2008-07-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

OK, so I didn't do much better yesterday after all.
Here's the rundown.

Ran 4 miles (behind the jogging stroller), did a few yoga stretches and 20 crunches.

DSL for July 9
Breakfast: one-fourth of a pop-tart (picked up from where Nash dropped it on the floor)
Lunch: Whole wheat stuffing, beets, cucumber slices, Boca chicken, string cheese
Snack: gummy bears & Doritos
Dinner: two slices of thin crust cheese pizza

My goal still stands. Can't never could and won't never will. If I don't get 3:50 in Huntsville in December, I'll shoot for Nashville in April.

p.s. It's Nash's birthday today!

40 years, 3 days

2008-07-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

NO WORKOUT Yesterday.
Also, did TERRIBLE with the DSL but here it is anyway:
DSL for 7.8.2008
* Breakfast: Two leftover pierogies smothered in leftover squash & onions
* Snack: handful of Skittles
* Lunch: Whole Wheat English Muffin & a cup of mandarin oranges
* Snack: buncha Doritos
* Dinner: Sliced beets, handful of whole wheat pasta, 5 or 6 green olives

Doing better with this today (sort of) but we'll wait until tomorrow for comparison, I s'pose.

Aha!

2008-07-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Some folks might think keeping a food diary (i.e., my Daily Sustenance List) is a little odd. Odd, maybe, but nutritionally helpful, according to the results of a study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study revealed that keeping a detailed (and presumably honest) food journal was "a powerful tool" in succeeding at weight-loss goals. While I'm certainly not trying to lose weight (I'm 5'5" and 120 pounds) I am trying to establish and maintain a nutritionally sound diet.
As the mother of a toddler, I need to eat right in order to set a good example and to ensure that I'll be able to keep up with this boy's maternal needs for the next 30-40-odd years.
As a runner I need to eat right in order to achieve my pace and mileage goals.
OK. That's it for now. Gotta get going on today's To Do List:

* Take Nash to Nanny & ManMan's house - CHECK
* Do laundry -CHECK
* Work at least 4 hours - CHECK (WELL, 3 HOURS ANYWAY)
subTDL - Deliver bin to JB, pick bins from LD, touch base with Duck & Run volunteers, return phone messages, check on Duck & Run course certification, touch base with JZ re: July 17, prepare report for Thursday Board mtg., call Mayor re: mtg re: recycling at Sportsplex
* Pick up Nash - CHECK
* Reserve pavillion for Nash's bday party - DECIDED TO HAVE PARTY IN BACKYARD
* Update Nash Chronicles - CHECK
* Update Mommy's List - CHECK
* Update North Alabama Runner - CHECK
* Run or go to gym

40 years, 1 day

2008-07-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

OK. I didn't include this info in yesterday's inaugural post, but each day I'm gonna include miles ran and/or other workouts as well as a list of what I've munched on for the day. I hope this -- especially the food log -- will prompt me to get my fitness/wellness act together once and for all.

Yesterday: 4 miles at about a 9-minute pace.
Breakfast: one thin slice of homemade chocolate pie.
Lunch: An omelet and a couple of french fries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream with hot fudge sauce.
Snack: a handful of Doritos & a green Popsicle
Dinner: baked zuchini & yellow squash with whole wheat pasta & parmesan
NOTES: This is actually pretty good, nutritionaly speaking, for me. At least the omelet provided a little bit of protein, which I'm usually lacking because I'm not much of a meat eater.

Today: No miles, no yoga, no nothing unless you count walking back and forth from the laundry room to the various closets in the house.
Sustenance: A frowny face for me: It's 5 p.m. and today I've had one apple slice, half a banana, a handful of Doritos, a couple of french fries and a handful of Kraft Mac & Cheese Crackers. But I'm about to eat cheddar pierogies with sauteed fresh yellow squash and vidalia onions.
NOTES: See, Where's the Protein?

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

2008-07-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

BLASTOFF!

Hello, I'm Mommy. Welcome to the first entry in my multi-purpose blog,

Mommy's Running List.

It's a blog about being Mommy. It's a blog about running. It's a blog about tasking away at an ever-present to-do list (and it will also probably include other various and sundry lists whenever the urge strikes me.)

Here's a little bit about me...
I'm 40.
Today.
That's right, ihssmuhbuffday.
And my anniversary, too.
Forty years an Earthling, three years a wife, and in four more days, two years a mommy.
So, there you have it.
Welcome to Mommy's Running List.
I do hope you'll visit often.