End of October

I don't have many memories of Halloween growing up.   I slightly remember collecting my candy in a pillow case.  I do remember the year my mother made my costume, though.  I was a bat.

I suspect this was a safe choice for my mother, who has never resembled a Betty homemaker of any sort. Bats are perhaps one of the ugliest creatures to spawn on the planet, so this gave her a lot of leeway.  Even a horribly hideous costume would be successful, as long as it was brown.

What I didn't realize back then, as I was standing in brown tights, deformed wings, and tears streaming down my cheeks, is how much work goes into everything when you are the parent.   This last week in October has been filled with fall festivities - all of which has left me somewhat deflated.

I want to give my kids warm family experiences to remember, however I had many of those experiences and yet all I remember is that butchered bat costume.

One thing I may consider giving up next year is the pumpkin patch.  The problem with pumpkin patch is its opened during October.  Even though this year we waited until the last weekend to go, it was still 91 degrees.  After a long car ride and smothering the kids in sunscreen, we waited in the sun to ride the ponies.

And then we took a hayride to the pumpkin field so that the kids could pick out overpriced pumpkins. 

They each selected a small pumpkin that they  I had to lug around for the remainder of the day.  

Shortly after our trip, all the pumpkins at Sprouts (even the large ones) went on sale for $1.  So, not only did we pay $20 to get into the farm, we overpaid 400%  for our pumpkins.  

Hayden's pumpkin got carved and sent to school,

Brenna's pumpkin still sits outside our decorated house, which now needs to be un-decorated.

Albeit work, I admit, I did have fun decorating.

In addition to the deformed panda bear and Mr. Wonderful  from last year, I created three new characters using butter knives and fake blood.

On Halloween, my creativity continued as I made Hayden's favorite food:  Hot dogs.

I made them look like bloody fingers!!

At first, I was quite proud.

But then he refused to eat them since they did, indeed, look like bloody fingers.  

Hayden did like his costume though (Thomas the Train).  Brenna was a mermaid and a little more demanding and dramatic.

After celebrating at each of their respective preschools, it was time for them to pay me back by collecting as much candy as possible.  Previous years proved their trick-or-treating skills to be sub par.  I mean, last year, we practically had to drag them around the block.   This year, they walked on their own, with very little whining, and we even made it off the street.  And, Hayden only tripped and spilled his candy twice!

They really enjoyed knocking on the doors, perhaps too much, and did a good job holding out their buckets for the droplets of candy.  Unfortunately, we came home without any Twizzlers or Butterfingers and too many tootsie rolls.

One thing I have learned raising twins is to take as many shortcuts as possible.  Next year, we will just buy a pumpkin in the comfort of a clean and air conditioned Trader Joes.  And the hot dogs will remain plain, boring hot dogs.

In hindsight, I do appreciate the effort my mother put forth when attempting to create my bat ensemble.  It's a lot of work to get a kid into a costume, nonetheless make the costume.

And for this reason I will spare myself the stress and stick to the consignment stores.

Oh. Taper.

My next race is an Olympic triathlon and it is next weekend.
Things have been going really great with training... I have been having a lot of fun, doing group workouts, and feeling unsurpassably strong.  In the past three weeks, I have a done at least:
- 12 mile run (with 10 miles at tempo pace / 6:50)
- 13+ mile run x 2
- 43 super hilly bike ride
- 37+ bike ride bricked with 4 miles x 2 
- Cycling intervals on the power-meter x 3
- Track x 2 and speedwork directly off the bike
- A few bikes rides bricked with my favorite running partners:

And then, on Wednesday, I was reminded that I should perhaps start my taper.

My response:  "Already????" 
I felt sorta bummed.

But then I woke up Thursday to meet my friend for what normally would be a tempo run.  But instead, we just ran.  It wasn't fast.  It wasn't far.  But yet, it felt hard.  My streak of feeling stronger every workout was over.  I felt tired.  Or, at least I convinced myself I was tired so I would abide by my  taper.

The taper is an important thing for me.  Not only is it an opportunity to recover, but it is an opportunity to swim, do yoga and get caught up on my errands -- so far, I have two massages and a facial scheduled.

Massages and facials may paint me as the lady of leisure I would love to be, but aside from this exact sentence that I am typing right now, "leisure" and "twins" are simply two words that never find themselves together.  Just the fundamental task of keeping my kids alive keeps me very busy........nevermind trying to keep them happy.

When we are not doing things, their default activity is fighting.  Brenna is usually the antagonist, but at least once a day, I catch Hayden slowly extending his hand towards Brenna's ponytail as if he just cannot resist the temptation of pulling on it.  This is one reason Brenna's ponytail never makes it past lunch time.

It is hard to be "doing things" all the time, especially with two three-year olds in tote.  So, I have continued separating them a few nights a week.  This makes doing things a lot more easier.  For example, this week, I took them each to a little carnival.

I walked Brenna through her very first funhouse:

And a few days later, I accompanied Hayden on his first flying elephant ride:

I was real excited to find out he was tall enough to ride the tilt-a-whirl...I used to love that ride!  But, he was not interested in anything that daring yet.  I was not surprised considering he is scared of practically everything in life unless you have ice cream.  And I had no ice cream.

Base Building - Training Your Weaknesses

I got a friendly text a few weeks ago from a former professional triathlete.  She was just not a pro, she was a great pro.  She traveled around the world and competed in the world championships multiple times.  She said she thought I had potential and offered to help me, free of charge.

I have always been tentative about coaching (remember this?) but I can get aboard anything if its free.

Like those stale, week-old cookies they give away at the grocery store before throwing them away?  I love those.  

In college, they were what sustained my once beloved cookie jar.
I do miss that cookie jar.

Anyway, the problem with coaching is that sometimes you are told things that you do not want to hear.  For example, that you have to train your weaknesses.

This is right on par with base-building and a terrific summer time activity.
The problem is that our weaknesses tend to be the stuff we enjoy the least.  For me, this is swimming.  I don't have an issue necessarily with swimming more, but with the sacrifices that are attached (specifically a reduction in my running).

This begs the question, How badly do I want it?
And, Is it even possible?  Can I be a good swimmer?

Like I tell the kids:  You never know unless you try.
So, I am going to give it a try.  Or at least try to try.

Last week I thought I suffered from heat exhaustion but it turned out that I had a mild bug (which I kindly passed along to David and my mother).  This week, I felt much better, even with the high temperatures.
I still did quite a bit of running, but not as many miles as usual.

Monday:  1 hour aerobic run.


Tuesday:  Flew to Lake Havasu for some open-water swimming.
I am not a huge fan of small planes because they give me motion-sickness and I am scared of crashing.......... but no one wanted to drive.                          
                                                                                 




I am also not a fan of Lake Havasu.  It was pretty much Yuma with the London Bridge.  (Yuma is known as the "armpit" of Arizona).

Wednesday:  1 hour run (tempo intervals) - I just can't quit it!  But, I also swam for 30-minutes non-stop and did flip-turns the entire time.  Flip turns are another weakness.

Thursday:  24-mile bike ride where I was told my gear was too high and my cadence was too low.  And, another swim!!  Again, with flip turns.

Friday: 1-hour on the indoor bike, low gear/high cadence, using my new cadence monitor.

Saturday:  90-minute progression run (12 miles).

Sunday:  35-mile group ride with lots of hills, focusing on my cadence and not my speed.  What I naturally do is go up one gear too big, which slows my cadence to 86.  When I am in slightly smaller gear, my cadence is 91.  I caught myself going into the bigger gear about a dozen times.

So that is pretty much what I was doing all week.
My kids were busy this week too - mostly just playing.

A few nights ago, David and I were sitting on the couch talking.  I looked at the clock and it was almost 8pm.  "Holy crap!" I said.  "We need to start bedtime routine!"
In the absence of my kids, I almost forgot them.
And, perhaps this their intention.  They are quite skilled when it comes to delaying bedtime.

I got up and found them in Brenna's room....each dragging their respective blankets, while doing something with a flash light and an over-sized stuffed mermaid:

Although they fight quite a bit (I had to get up four times while writing this post because Brenna kept stealing Hayden's blanket), it must be pretty cool to have a permanent playing partner.  

Every few weeks David suggests that we move them back in the same room.  Sure, this is nice in theory - but in reality, they wouldn't sleep.  They would play.  

And fight.

Because as cute as these moments are, it's only a matter of time until one of them decides to poke the other in the ear.

5K Summer Series, #2

I reverted to some old habits during this race:  a fast first mile, a decent second mile and a dreadful third mile.
Old habits die hard.
When I stood on the start line next to Daniel, he asked, "6:18 pace?"
I agreed.
But then I found myself running sub-6.  And although I knew I was running too fast, it felt manageable.
Maybe on another day it would have been manageable.

Let me back-track to Monday.

Monday started off as a normal day.  I went running before work, had a productive day and went grocery shopping to raid the clearance section of meats and veggies that expire at midnight.
When I was driving home from the grocery store, absolute exhaustion hit me like ton of bricks.
I just needed to lie down.

Once I lied down, I did not get back up.
My 75% discounted, but needed to be ate immediately, meats and veggies did not get cooked.  I sent David out for fast food instead.  This is a never-seen occurrence.  Not so much the fast food, but letting food go to waste!

Around 10pm, I was suddenly awakened by throbbing, aching arms.
I woke up David, who told me I had anemia and needed a juicy steak.
I called my mom, who said it sounded like the flu.

My mom brought be both a steak and Tamiflu the following morning (and chicken noodle soup).  Although nothing made me instantly recover, I felt mildly better.  I slept the entire day.
I slept most of the day on Wednesday but by Thursday, I was able to watch TV in between naps and check my Facebook.  All my Facebook friends were alive.

Some people have asked me what I did with my kids during my 4-day hibernation.  As always, I utilized my help.  But, they also did a good job entertaining themselves.
It doesn't really take much to entertain them, a simple office chair in the kitchen will do the trick:

Hayden played with cars:

And Brenna huddled in blankets, just like her mother, and watched him.

such a good girl!



My mom warned me not to run over the weekend.
She said, "You don't want to relapse!  Take it easy!"
Even though she is always right, my brain convinces me that I need to do the opposite.
Like I said, old habits die hard, right?

A bunch of other things then proceeded to go wrong in the next day:  insomnia, bloating, lower back pain and a new blister.  I don't know how you get a blister from being bed-ridden.

This 5K is my favorite one of the series because it is a trail run.  It's not technical nor difficult, but a trail is a trail and it's always better than a road or sidewalk.   I decided that I was okay not winning this race and formulated two reasonable goals.  The A goal was sub 6:20.  The B goal was sub 6:30.

So you see now why it really made no sense for me to run the first mile in 6 minutes flat.
I will say what I always say, it just felt good.
That first mile always feels good.

The second mile felt okay too.  There were some tight turns and mellow dips that naturally slowed me down for a 6:12 mile.

The third mile is where my race spiraled out of control.  I started the mile with fatigue so I transitioned to my A goal.  I focused on keeping my breathing smooth and solid.  But as the mile progressed, my physical state withered.  I lost control of my breathing and found myself gasping.  My chest hurt, my heart rate was too high and my arms were tumultuously tight.  In between moments of telling myself, "I can't" and reminding myself, "I can", I focused on shaking out the arms and taking deep breathes as I transitioned to my B goal.

I think a well-performed 5K should hurt.
But I don't think it should hurt like that.

I got passed in the last mile which did help me achieve my B goal (6:29).

I finished second overall but only because the course was short - it ended at 3 miles exactly.  Had there been a .1 sprint, I would have come in third - this runner and I had an identical chip times, I only beat her with the gun time.  And, unlike me, she didn't look like she was meeting death when she passed the finish.

When they called me up for my award, I promptly grabbed my medal and went over to a bush to puke.
I would have felt sorry for myself, but it was poor pacing on my part.  You have to race according to your capabilities for the day, not your capabilities in general.

When I returned, the kids were excited to see me back in my running shoes that had collected dust on the floor next to the door all week.  They got in the stroller and sat in it for quite awhile.
I love that my kids love to run.
But they will have to wait until next week.

Base Building

The twins are becoming best friends.
Sometimes when I am in the kitchen making dinner, it will become eerily quiet and I will find them cuddling together on the couch.

When we do arts and crafts, they always help finish each others.

It certainly warms a mother's heart............................................................until the screaming starts.

I have a younger brother close in age so I understand the dynamic behind their relationship.  Even now that I am 30 years old, if I know something will annoy my brother, there is a 90% chance that I will do it (and a 10% chance that I will want to do it but forget).

Sometimes I cannot even bring myself to scold Brenna because if this was my brother, my foot would be glued inside that shoe as well.

Don't get me wrong, I do feel sorry for him when he is in his room, lining up his cars by color and she decides to come in and move them.  I really do!
But nothing in life is ever 100% rainbows and roses.  And that is why we ensure that we have a nice strong, solid base to support us.  As long as they are friends most of the time, then it is only to be expected that there will also be times that they fight and cry and get mad at each other.

For a runner, the summer in Arizona is always about base building.
It is too hot to run too fast so you might as well run long, right?

Although it has only be 6-weeks of forgoing my long workouts, it feels much longer.  Keeping true to my long-term goals, I am committed to spending this summer on specializing in pacing.

Today was my first long run of 11 miles.  Instead of going fast with the banditos for the first half, I went easy pace (8ish min/mile pace) with friends.  Then at the turnaround, I attempted to keep up with the banditos (7ish min/mile pace).

Yesterday was my first long bike of 50 miles.  I did not intend to do 50 miles but that is another story.
We had a Ride of Honor where multiple groups started off from multiple locations and we all met in the capitol to have a cycling rally in response to the many car/cyclist accidents that have occurred on our streets lately.

It is very hard to video tape while riding your bike.  And probably not safe.  Don't try this at home!

Last Duathlon Training Session

It's been record highs here, but it seems to be that way every year.

The kids are adjusting.  You know its a hot, sunny day when they seek refuge at the park in a tunnel:  

I have started to transition to morning workouts. The nice thing about Arizona is that we still have plenty of beautiful mornings left.

The kids seemed happy to receive their breakfast plate in the stroller. I was worried that they would resist breaking their winter routine of watching Micky Mouse while they crunched on their cereal, but I have them well-trained: they were scrambling into the stroller before I could even get the words, "Who wants to go running?" out of my mouth.

 Their jogging stroller meal has been pretty standard for a long time. It is always: a bunch of strawberries, a bagel thin w/ cream cheese (and cauliflower puree - but sssshh, they don't know that), a split banana, freeze dried apples and pears and Cheerios/Chex. This cherished combo of food is acceptable for any meal. I think they would be satisfied eating it for every meal.


For some reason I have always preferred the morning air - it seems more crisp and fresh than afternoon air, even if its the same temperature. This will be my last summer with the kids so we are going to relish and revel in every run.
We are literally going to stop and smell the roses!


Since the duathlon is next weekend, this is my last duathlon workout. I guess the timing is good - I barely have enough time in the morning for a bike-run brick, nonetheless a run-bike-run double brick. This is partly why I chose to do this workout in the midday, despite the heat. I also think training in the heat has some benefits.

It was 92 when I started at 12:30, and 95 when I ended at 2.
* 15 minutes on trainer, ending in 3 min / 1 min / 30 second sprints (30 sec RI)
* 1.15 mile loop at 5K effort (5:53 pace)
* 18 mile bike ride (it got really windy in the middle of this)
* 1.15 mile loop, ran it in the opposite way (6:12 pace, the heat and wind were getting to me)
* 1 min easy / 1 min sprint on trainer  x 5
* 2 min / 1 min / 30 second sprints back outside (30 sec RI). The wind was gone and I finished strong in the 5:40s. I drank coconut water throughout the workout and I think that helped. It was on clearance at GNC for just .33 cents a bottle!


This ends the duathlon season.  I wish there were more races - it would solve my swimming issues.

Triathlon Training - The One and Only Week

I am doing a sprint triathlon on Sunday.
Sprint triathlons vary in distance - this one is a 750-meter swim, 12-mile bike ride, 5K run. 

I didn't feel the need to train for it because it is so short and my duathlon training is sufficient for the bike and run portions. 

This is my first time doing a Sprint triathlon so I don't know what to expect. Although it sounds easy on paper, shorter distances are actually not easier than their longer counterparts.  The decreased length means increased speed.  It's a different kind of challenge.

I examined the course map and I am disappointed with the run course.  Unlike the longer distances, we have the pleasure to run up a steep hill .This hill always seems to be in my races.

I used the course map to do my one training workout. The Triathlon Workout began at the course.  I was taken aback when I got out of my car to be nearly blown over by a speeding gush of wind.
The warm included 1 mile of the course, up the hill, 2 miles on trails to the canal and then the rest:
* 1.15 miles on canal "fast" (5:57 pace) - cross wind
* Headwind to my house with a 4-minute push (6:10 pace) and 70-second sprint (5:40)
* 14 mile bike ride back to car (mostly cross wind, but a little head and tail wind action)
* 1 mile on the course "fast" (5:57) - tail wind
* 800 in a headwind (3:15)
* 2x up the hill
* 1km in headwind back to car at 6:40

I felt good about the bike and the run.
And then I remembered - the swim.

750-meters is not a long swim - until you go to the pool and swim 15 laps.
I did this.  Once.

It is safe to say I will not drown.
It is also safe to say that I won't be one of the first people out of the water.

Which is fine but in hindsight, I do wish I prepared.

There really is no excuse.  I have access to a nice indoor pool that provides childcare.
And my kids like going to the childcare.
When we went, my kids walked in as if they ownded the daycare.
When I picked them up for lunch, Brenna was happy to see me.   Hayden pretended he did not know me.


But he can never ignore the promise of lunch.

I always order them the special. This week it was a hummus wrap.
It had a lot of vegetables so it was not their favorite thing, but they ate it up anyway.


Hayden ate his entire lunch holding a yellow matchbox car. I suspect you will see this in future pictures because it is not just a yellow car, it is THE yellow car. It must be in his hand at all times, including when he sleeps.


They also ate maccaroni puffs to make the meal "toddler friendly." Hayden, who tends to wear half of every meal spattered on his shirt, decided to take the  George Constanza approach to eating puffs by using a fork. 


Brenna, refusing to be out-sophisticated, followed his lead.


So we left the gym premises well-fed, slightly more refined and with the satisfaction of knowing that I went swimming because one time is better than zero times.

Duathlon Training, Week 3

Monday - Long bike, FAIL.
I noticed that it was quite windy before I began the ride. I didn't want to ride in the wind, but I thought to myself, "real cyclists don't wuss out because of some wind."   At first, the ride was rather pleasant.  Even though it was windy, it was a cross-wind.  But as it progressed, the wind picked it up.  At one point it was so strong that I had to stop because it kept blowing me out of the bike lane.
The road has a median that is difficult to cross over so that encouraged me to go all the way to the end of the road (about 10-12 miles) so that I could turn around.  Once I turned around, I was greeted with a cloud of dust that limited visibility.


It's not safe to drive in these conditions and its really not safe to ride your bike, so I pulled over for a bit so I could think about what I should do. And then I got a flat tire, which made that decision really easy.

On a normal day, the road would be filled with cyclists kind enough to help me (this was my first flat tire so I am not experienced in changing them).  Apparently though, real cyclists check the weather report.


Anyway, I called a friend who saved me.

Tuesday -  50 minutes on the trainer, followed by 45 minutes of blind speedwork:
                      -10 min 30 seconds "fast" (5:48 pace), 6 min RI
                      -6 min 15 seconds "fast" (5:53 pace), 4 min RI
                      -4 min "fast" (5:49 pace), 90 sec RI
                      -2 min "fast" x 2 (you get it, 5:50ish = "fast")
                          -12 more minutes on trainer - one foot drills
                             -20 more minutes running, this time on hills, with 3 more minutes "fast"
Some thoughts:  I really had no idea when I took my first step out of the door what I was going to do.  That is why I like these blind workouts...there is no plan, so there are no expectations, pressure or disappointment.  But there is also no structure.  I ended each interval when I felt tired.  IF I knew that I was close to running two miles at a 5:48 pace, I would have pushed for the extra 70 seconds or so to make it two miles.  But on the other hand, I may have also told myself that I just ran my two fastest miles ever and thus too tired to do more intervals.  I would have missed out on 2 additional miles worth of fast running.


Wednesday - Long bike, FAIL #2.
This just had to with a change of plans that required me to ride my bike at home.   Riding at home means riding in a lot of traffic, not ideal when only have a certain amount of time.  Ended up doing 22 miles bricked a 3.5 mile trail run.

Thursday - 50 minute run with the stroller (6.7 miles, nothing fancy)

Friday - 13.1 miles in 1:36:02.  I didn't initially intend to do a half marathon, but when I arrived home and saw I ran 13 miles, I decided to run to the street to make it 13.1.  Although the pace is just fine, the run itself was not pleasant.  It was very windy (yet again) so I decided to play with the wind and not look at my pace.  The "game" was to take it easy in the head winds and push in the tail winds.  The problem (that I realized after-the-fact) is it's impossible to "take it easy" in a head wind that strong.  So basically I had to push the entire run.  Also, I wore socks that I never ran in before which gave me blisters, and I ate lunch beforehand which gave me a stomach ache.  I realized 45 minutes into the run that it was not feeling good, but I refused to make excuses and determined to finish what I started.
Really, I have bad runs so infrequently that I didn't know how to mentally handle it!


Saturday -  2 mile trail run, 31 mile bike ride that included 8 miles up a mountain, .5 mile trail run.  I realize .5  miles is barely worth mentioning, but a brick is a brick!  I must say, I felt wonderful for that brief 3:30 run...but I had to get home to my kids.  That is the problem with cycling - it is so time consuming!
However, I do get to ride with the most excellent of folk:


Sunday:  20 minutes on the trainer, followed by a 40ish minute run.  I did not wear a watch because this run had no training purpose - it was purely for fun!
It was a beautiful sunny day, although a touch warm - over 80 degrees.  It makes me sad to think that the days of sleeping in past 5am and running in the afternoon are coming to an end.

I also took the kids out to enjoy the day.


Perhaps it is the way her her arms are erratically flopping flaunting to her sides, but I think I see myself in Brenna.  Now, if only I could find such an adorable tutu running dress.

Duathlon Training, Week 2

This is my peak week.  I would have preferred it to be next week but I can't fit this volume into a normal week.  Monday was a holiday and my mother watched the kids for an extra day (thanks, mom!) so I was able to do an abnormal amount.  It was a great week though - every single workout was fun.


Monday - 2 hour (and 1 minute) bike ride - hit 40 miles!  I am really pleased with that pace because the entire ride was through neighborhoods.  The time elapsed does not include idle time, but it does include all the slowing down required to cross all those intersections.  Bricked with a 25 minute run (3.4 miles).

Tuesday - 6.6 mile run w/1 mile (5:50)
                                        800 x 3 (2:56, 2:50, 2:58), .2 RI
                                        400 (1:22)
                                             bricked with 14 mile bike ride
                                                   bricked with 2 miles @ tempo (7) + one more 400 (1:23 )
-  sidenote:  I did my first mile "blind"...I thought perhaps if I didnt know my pace, I would intuitively pace myself better.  It didn't work, instead I ran my fastest mile ever.  I really need to re-learn pacing.

Wednesday - 28 mile bike easy bike ride (20.4 mph - look how easier it is to go fast when there is no wind!) bricked with 3 miles.

Thursday - 40 minute run with the babies with 16 minutes 6:35 pace.

Friday - South Mountain mock race (blind workout).  27 minute hilly trail loop, 1 hour bike ride (with hills and wind), 27 minute trail loop (same loop in reverse).  Ended up being 3.4 miles run / 19.7 mile ride / 3.4 mile run.

Saturday - Rest day!  Took a yoga class.

Sunday - 12.5 miles @ 7:17 pace.  I did most of the run with the Banditos, but once they dropped down to a 6:50 pace, I only hung on for 2 miles.  Finished the last few miles on my own (which was fine, I rarely get to listen to my music!)

It has been nice getting acquainted with my bicycle once again.
I spent 5 hours cycling (between Mon-Friday, which is a lot for me) and hit 100 miles (which is also a lot for me).
I know people who can cycle 100 miles, in 5 hours, in a single day.   But they are real cyclists.
I may be a better cyclist than I was a year ago, but at the end of the day, I am still a runner playing on bike.

On that note, I do believe that even when cycling 100 miles, training for triathlons is still 100 times easier than parenting twins.

The thing with training, be it running or biking or swimming, is that you are only need to take care of yourself.  My only responsibility is to not get hit by a car or attacked by a coyote.  And since I don't follow a schedule, I do only what I want to do.
Training is very selfish.  It's all about me.

But motherhood?  It's the complete opposite.  It's the most selfless journey that I have ever embarked on.
It doesn't matter if I am tired or frustrated or busy.  It doesn't matter if it's 2am and I am asleep dreaming about cupcakes.  Every minute of every day (except for when I am working or training) is spent keeping my kids alive, healthy and happy.
Honestly, the first two are not hard.  It's that last one that I struggle with.

They push me to my limit and they pull me in opposite directions.
At the end of a day, they make me more exhausted than any workout possibly could.

I can be cliche and say "twice the tantrums but twice the love" or brag about how many sloppy kisses I get.  But you know what is the best?  When I realize that its strangely quiet.
And I look around, and no one is tugging on my pants or throwing books at my face or jumping on the couch.
Instead, I see this:






Not only do they not need me,
they don't even want me.
And, they are happy.

It makes it all worth it.

Duathlon Training, Week One

In 4 weeks it will be time for THAT race again.
The race that opened up this blog.
The race the provided our first race report.
This race.

I feel like I have been waiting for this race pretty much all year, yet I experienced some trepidation when it was time to sign up.  To my dismay, they made the bike 30 miles (as opposed to 20 miles).  To a non-cyclist, or perhaps a good cyclist, 10 extra miles may seem like no big deal.  But its an extra 30-35 minutes in the saddle - on hills, no less.
For an intermediate cyclist, it IS a big deal
But I have come far on my bike in the last year and I need to be confident in my abilities.
I can bike 30 miles.

Now - I can't remember the last time I did bike 30 miles - but I came close during last week's training.  I used my comments derived my from last race report when deciding what to do (I am not using a schedule of any kind):


I tried to do 2 hour workouts but damn, that is a long time to work out.  I just really dont have the attention span.  I managed to get 2 hours in exactly on Tuesday.  Friday came close (1 hour 50 minutes).
But I did do the reverse brick.  I feel pretty good biking after running, and running after biking.

Monday = 8.1 mile trail run (hills and wind)

Tuesday = 70 min on trainer, bricked w/ 50 minute run:  7.4 miles w / 1 mile x 2 (6:02 / 5:54)..I had a tail wind on the second one...400 x 4 (1:23 [tailwind], 1:29 [headwind], 1:24 [tailwind], 1:32 [headwind]


Wednesday = 1 hour 32 min bike ride (29.5 miles)...I was hoping to reach 30 miles here but it was just too windy.  Bricked with 15 minute/2 mile run.

Thursday = 7.4 miles with the jogging stroller

Friday = Parked at trails and ran 3.4 miles home, bricked w/ 30 minutes on trainer (last 3 minutes of every 10 minutes was a sprint) and 33 minute bike ride back to car (10 miles, MORE WIND) bricked with 3 mile mile trail run.

Saturday = Rest Day (took an easy yoga class)

Sunday = 13.5 miles at 7:26 pace. I did the first 12 with the Banditos and then went to my car to cool down. I started at a 7:45 pace and some how wound up finishing at a 6 pace.  My last mile was 6:45 and I felt my best.  Maybe one day I can feel like that at the end of a half marathon.

I had a lot of fun all week, even at yoga class.  But, it wasn't as much fun as my previous classes because it was my first non-hot yoga class.  It just felt like something was missing.
I definitely enjoy hot yoga more.

But hot yoga is not offered at my gym and that makes it hard to attend classes.  Plus, I think the kids missed the gym daycare.
OK.............they missed the cafe.





Also, hot yoga is expensive!
I am not sure I can justify the cost when I pay a monthly membership to a gym that offers plenty of yoga classes.

Anyway, for the next week I will be glued to my bike.

2nd Week of Training

Monday - 7 mile trail run at South Mountain

Tuesday - 7 miles w/ the jogging stroller

Wednesday - 4 miles - very short speedwork session to see if my fast-twitch muscles were working:
400 x 2, 1 min RI @ 7min/mile (1:28, 1:26) + 1 x 800 (2:52 - not sure how I ran so fast, and the crazy thing is that it didn't feel hard!) followed by 1 hour of hot yoga.
Side note: I am undecided about my feelings on yoga. I don't dislike it, and I think the stretching feels good. On the other hand, I get bored after 30 minutes.

Thursday: 6 miles w/ the jogging stroller in the wind

Friday: 2 miles at South Mountain, downhill to the u-shape canal.
6 x .44 miles (odd distance but that is the length of the canal). Alternated between 6 min/mile pace (tail wind) and 6:20 min/mile pace (headwind), 1 min RI. Then ran 3 miles, all uphill, back to the car.

Saturday: Watched the Marathon Olympic Trials! I even let Hayden skip his nap so that he could watch, too:


Sunday: 12.5 mile run at the local Rock and Roll race. First I cheered on my friends who were running the half marathon, and then I cheered on (and ran along side) my friends who ran the full marathon. It was a lot of fun..............but I am glad that I was a spectator, as opposed to a participant.
First, I got to sleep in and spend a lazy morning with my kids:

I didn't have to leave my house until 8:20! By then, the sun was up and it was no longer cold outside. I also didn't have to wait in line to use a stinky porta-jon.

I felt a little badly that I did not take the kids, especially when Brenna got into the stroller,


Watching the marathon is something that we have done every year. In fact, 2 years ago, was our first outing with the jogging stroller!


I just knew that they would lose patience after an hour, and I would want to stay longer. I ended up being gone almost 3 hours - they would have been miserable.

Watching the marathon re-affirmed my decision that it's a distance that is simply not for me. Everyone looked like they were in so much pain! Don't get me wrong, I am not pain-adverse; pushing yourself past discomfort is what makes someone a better runner. But I prefer to be in pain for less than 3 hours, and recovered by the time breakfast is over. I think it's almost intuitive to want to do a longer distance after conquering a shorter distance - for example, it almost seems natural to do a marathon after completing a half marathon. But why go longer, why not go faster? I think that will be approach for the next few years - it just seems easier!

But for now, I am concentrating on the 12 mile trail race.
After 2 weeks of training, I am already in the taper.

1 Week Left - No More Training!

End of Week summary,
and I realize this is a day early. I am not running tomorrow because my husband and I have a wild night out (and a baby sitter and a hotel room). Plus, this makes my 4th week of running over 55 miles, and without a rest day.

I am not sure why my coach did not give me any rest days, but I am looking forward to taking one!

Monday: 8 mile trail run

Tuesday: 10.5 mile run with 800x7 (3:07, 3:03, 3:08, 3:15, 3:03, 3:03, 3:15). On that first 3:15 I just lost my focus. The last 3:15, I came around the corner to find a piece of construction equipment hauling down the bike lane. Quite frankly, if you are operating something that is faster that a cyclist on crack, you do not belong on the bike lane. I leaped out of the way to save myself, but it ruined my interval.

Wedneday: 8 mile trail run. I messed up here. I was having so much fun and ran way too many hills. It didnt even dawn on me until mile 6 that this was supposed to be a recovery run.

Thursday: 12 miles w/ 8 miles at "race pace-ish". I say "pace-ish" since I am still not decided on what I want my race pace to be.
mile 1: 6:55; mile 2: 6:48; miles 3 and 4: 6:44; mile 5: 6:37; mile 6: 7:03 (uphill); mile 7: 6:48; mile 8: 6:48.
Times were OK but my legs felt worn out from Tuesday/Wedneday. RIs were mostly 1 minute...no RI between miles 3 and 4, long RIs after mile 4 and 6.

Friday: 5.5 mile trail run

Saturday: 12 mile run. This is when I realized that I am beat.

The next week for me is about rest and recovery. I have an ART appointment and a massage. I just bought a bunch of epson salt. I have new compression socks arriving any day.

Ah, taper.

I might do a few easy runs with the stroller. The kids really miss it.
On Tuesday, Hayden woke up and went right to the jogging stroller. I had just finished my run so this was not an option.
I could not lure him away, so I gave him a banana and took a shower.


When I came out, I still could not lure him away so that is where he ate breakfast.


Although it did melt my heart a little bit, Brenna didnt mind having the breakfast table all to herself:


Happy Halloween everyone,
see you after the festivities!

2 Weeks Left - And then What?

This was my peak week of training.
I still have two hard workouts left but then I start my taper.

I hit all the paces I wanted to hit, and ran all the miles I wanted to run.
Even at 61 miles, my legs feel great - strong, loose and limber.

The only thing is a stupid headcold, which is making it very hard to breathe. Luckily for me, I am not to cool to do a snot-rocket or two while running.

End of Week Summary:

Monday: 7.4 mile trail run (Desert Classic @ South Mountain)

Tuesday: 10 miles w/ 5.3 @ tempo effort (6:51). It was dark during most of my run and I like this because I dont look at my watch.

Wednesday: 7.5 mile trail run (National trail @ South Mountain)

Thursday: 10 miles w 1 mile x 3 (6:17, 6:15, 6:09). Goal was 6:20/6:15/6:10...I was unsure if I could hit that 6:10 but it wasnt that hard.

Friday: 4.6 mile trail run (obscure trail at South Mountain)

Saturday: 16.4 mile run. Longest run since giving birth, and the longest run I will do for training. And of course, I had to do it like a rockstar by going around Mummy Mountain. This is a famous route for all the local runners and cyclists. I have cycled it many times, this was my first time running it. It is a windy road, filled with hills. Here is one of the hills (not my photo, I just image googled it):


But its pretty, right? Actually its gorgeous.
Totally worth the work.

The first 10 miles were @ 8:20 pace (included the largest hills). Then I broke loose and did 5 miles @ 6:55. Ended with a mile of strides and a cool down.

Sunday: 5.2 miles with the jogging stroller while watching my amazing, hardcore friends do the Soma Half Ironman.


It's always so inspiring when I cheer at these races. Anyone who is capable of riding 56 miles and then running a half marathon is a true athlete. Watching them *almost* makes me want to do it next year!

We just looped around a bunch of times, which ended up being like hill repeats because the course went along this rather annoying hill. It's not so bad to push the stroller up it once, but after a few times, yes, it becomes quite annoying! I am sure the racers feel the same way (since they had to ride it multiple times as well).

I would have loved to stay out longer, but at 10:30am it was already 90-degrees. Brenna insisted on wearing black leggings and just like I suspected, she got hot.


Despite the hills and heat, my pace was pretty good - it makes me want to run another 5K with the babies!

However, I am also in the process of transitioning to trail running. It has been rather hot - Perhaps this looks familiar....

(yes that says 98-degrees in October!)

But that is one thing I love about trail running, you have to embrace the elements.

So I am torn about what to do after this half marathon.

Focus on trail running/racing?
Speedwork with the stroller for a new stroller 5K PR?
Focus on swimming for next tri season?

So many options,
and not enough time!