Dingoes springing into April

[MelW]

From jo's dingo intro (that just needs a little theme music ):

"For mamas who run, walk, jog, wog, traipse, hop, skip, jump, or aspire to do any of those things, we are the Dingoes. Join us here for inspiration, commiseration, support, entertainment and community. Share your training challenges, your race reports, and discuss anything and everything--just like having a super-supportive IRL running group!

We also like to discuss biking, swimming, climbing, team sports and the million other things that come up, some of which we do to run better, some of which we do when we can't run, and some of which we just do.

All are welcome!

It is commonly known that Dingoes are a bunch, but don't be intimidated. We love new members and cherish (ahem) the old ones, too."

[Nickarolaberry]

Subbing, happy April!

[MelW]

Nic, congrats on breaking two hours. You're getting so fast!! Now you just need to figure out how to run and chew at the same time :lol

Mel, congrats on a PR despite the bottleneck in the race.

Thanks to both of you for the advice. I think I can make the weekday runs longer- I was a bit nervous about adding to both them and the weekends and overdoing it, but since I'll always have a day of recovery in between it should be do-able. And I don't have to miss bootcamp or try to run on a bootcamp night, which is a recipe for exhaustion lately.

NRR- Today was a day with the kids that I wished I could have paused and savoured forever. We slept in a little (6:45 feels luxurious after our 5:30 weekday mornings), made breakfast and played in the tiny amount of snow from last night's freak snowstorm and then went to home depot for 1 1/2 hours. I was just going to pick up a couple of pieces of hardware and had promised the girls that they could "shop for chandeliers for their dream homes". They then decided to choose *everything* for their homes, from flooring to cabinets to paint to toilets. They debated about dual flush vs. "prettier" toilets, size of bathtub, carpet vs. hardwood vs. tile, types of decks, etc. By the time we finished dream home shopping it was lunchtime, so we picked up sushi takeout, came home for lunch and then I cuddled up with the youngest for a nap. After that the snow had melted enough to mow the lawn, plant lettuce and transplant a tree while the kids biked and played in the back yard. The whole day had a mellow, co-operative vibe that feels like the perfect way to head into Spring break.

[Mel38]

Please PM me if you'd
like me to add something for you!

: dingo race list
:

bec - Indy Mini Half Marathon - May 5, 2012

Mel38 - Hell Hole Swamp Gator Run 5k - May 5, 2012

realrelim - Miles for Moms 5K - May 12, 2012

MelW - GutBuster Trail Series Colliery Dam 12.5K, May 27, 2012

realrellim, tjsmama - Boulder Bolder, May 28, 2012

Nickarolaberry - Iron Horse Half Marathon - June 3, 2012

realrellim - Steamboat Marathon - June 3, 2012

realrellim - Run for Independence 5M - June 30, 2012

realrellim - Middle Park Half Marathon - July 7, 2012

bec -  Racine Half Ironman - July 15, 2012

tjsmama - Mudathlon, August 11, 2012

tjsmama -USAT Age Group Nationals, August 18, 2012

tjsmama -Rock n Roll Denver 1/2 Marathon, September 22, 2012

mel38 - Marine Corps Marathon - October 28, 2012

tjsmama - New York City Marathon - November 4, 2012

 

Other places to find the Dingos:

: cooking blog :

knitting blog

We have a private Yahoo group. Submit a request to join and mention your MDC
username in the request so we know who you are.

We also have a private location map. Send a PM to eksmom to get info
and join up.

Why are we called the Dingos?
See this post

Edited by Mel38 - 4/30/12 at 9:47am

[Mel38]

And another one for our results.

2012 Dingo Race Results

realrellim - Yeti Chase 10K - January 28, 2012 - 53:24 (PR!)

realrellim - Ralston Creek Half Marathon - February 12, 2012 - 2:00:43

mommajb - 10k - March 17, 2012 - 59:??

doctorjen - Diva Dash 5k - March 25, 2012 - 24:55

Mel38 - Cooper River Bridge Run 10k - March 31, 2012 - 1:03:29 (PR)

realrellim - Redline 13.1 Westminster - April 7, 2012 - 1:57:56

bec - Reach out and Run 5k - April 21, 2012 - 42-ish (with 6yo DD!)

doctorjen - Rock the Parkway half marathon - April 14, 2012 - 1:56:49 (PR!)

Mel38 - TryCharleston Sprint triathlon - April 21, 2012 - 1:30:38

tjsmama - Cherry Creek Sneak 10 Miler - April 29, 2012 -

2010 Results

2011 Results

Edited by Mel38 - 4/30/12 at 4:34am

[bec]

Mel - that sounds like a lovely day!  We've had a few of those recently, and I just treasure them!

Last Friday was amazing.  I had a date night that turned into a date day with DH.  The kids were off with Grandma, so DH took a vacation day.  We went to sushi for lunch, to a movie, then back home to get dressed fancy and out to dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse, followed with improv comedy.  It was so nice to spend so much one on one time with him. 

Then, I ended up having to work both Saturday and Sunday.  I have today off, but after closing on Saturday and opening on Sunday, I am pretty tired today!

[Shantimama]

I walked at a good pace for an hour yesterday without needing to use my inhaler. Nothing to brag about but it is progress. Running up the stairs in my house to get something is another story, even after all of the cleaning. I think once the weather warms up again and we can get the firewood and kindling back out of the house, that will help. Then again, that will mean it is pollen season. I hate having such a hard time managing my allergies and asthma enough to be able to run. Snowshoeing really is the perfect exercise for me - too bad we only had 3 or 4 days with enough snow for it all winter! 

The kids are all back into the groove of school again but dh is home with a cold. The warm weather can't get here fast enough for me. 

I have been invited to participate in a really amazing art/craft show this summer. It is held just north of here and is unlike anything else I have been too. I can't even call it a craft show - lots of potters, painters, artisans of all kinds who have tables set up throughout this incredible garden on the shore of Georgian Bay. I am so excited to be invited but now I have to figure out how to make it work. What should I take? What would be an amazing display? Right now I am thinking of lots of my yarn, I can probably make a few quilts between now and then, maybe some woven shawls, some of my felted candle holders with beeswax candles - but I don't know. I want it to be really good and I haven't done anything like this before. What should I include? What kind of display would draw you in at a venue like that? I need to come up with some ideas and a plan so I can get all of the work done in the next three months. That sounds like such a long time right now but I know it isn't really that long at all. This is the kind of event where people can start getting their work into boutique type stores in Toronto and London (ON) which would help make doing this stuff financially viable. 

[tjsmama]

Battling exhaustion and a sore foot and crappy weather today.

[mommajb]

Shanti, that is wonderful! You do so many wonderful crafts and arts. Wil you bring some of all or will you focus on a particular type or style or focus with samples of others? Or...I can see why you are having trouble deciding.

bec, what a great date!

Mel, great race report and pr!

MelW, we could use one of those days around here. I hope spring break is the time for it. RR, I have a pretty standard week and a long run on the weekend but it worked for me because my schedule is pretty standard during the week. I have generally lifted on my off days but I did read something lately that discussed running and crosstraining on the same days so that your recovery days are recovery days. I am pondering that.

Nic,

Spring break here for some of us. Helen got sick during the night but I was thinking it might be tummy troubles that pass but she isn;t up yet so I may have to rework the schedule. I missed yesterday's run because I didn't make it happen. I am going to post before I lose this - the computer is getting wonky.

[sparkletruck]

Shanti - Everything on that list you wrote sounds appealing to me. Honestly, I know its not helpful, but quilts , yarn , beeswax candles I think doing some of several things, as you mentioned, would be good so people can see your versatility and depth. Sorry about the allergies/asthma

MelW and Bec - I love days like that. So glad you both got one! You have both been putting so much energy out, Im glad you got some coming your way

Gaye - some days are just like that. Try to rest and indulge and not focus on what you cant do/dont have

RR: Nichts, b/c I busted a** yesterday on kid care (6 1/2 hours in the morning that included a 2 1/2 hour hike in the mtns. - I think we made it 3 miles - beautiful but management nonetheless, then a birthday party, and then cleaning out the ENTIRE kitchen and cleaning the cupboards so the painter could come at 9am this morning to paint. Our bedroom is now filled with kitchen boxes, so when I needed to put honey on the kids toast this morning, I had to dig through a box in my bedroom to find it. I'm tired of moving and we havent even started

NRR: Packing, weeding, storing,moving, cleaning - not necessarily in that order. Wash, rinse, repeat...

edited to add: Nic and Mel38 - WOOT
Edited by sparkletruck - 4/2/12 at 9:39am

[kerc]

I'm here.

RP bailed on my run yesterday. Kids crazy. Forced my oldest to bike 4 miles while I ran. It wasn't 7, but it was done.

Sorry to be lame, but I'm working....

[Plady]

Whew!  Welcome April!

The play's over and it seemed to go well.  I think I learned a lesson that will be valuable for the future.  Middle schoolers run high on needs and low on gratitude.  Does that jibe with anyone else's experience?  It's always good for me to get another lesson in how to not take things personally too. 

Saturday was a particularly hard day, I went to therapy with dd and she got really upset with me, again on the not-enough-time scale which made me lose it since I was already feeling guilty about it, sad about my lost friend, and dissed by my cast and just plain exhausted on all fronts.  So that was bad.  But later we snuggled for a long nap and both felt better afterward.  I'd also gotten my friend some tix to the play as a sort of olive branch, just to let her know that I still want to be friends if and when she feels up for it.  And although I didn't see her at the show she called yesterday morning to thank me for them and we chatted for a while as if everything was okay between us until finally it was like she remembered that we aren't supposed to be friends anymore and she sort of suddenly said goodbye.  But at least it felt like there was some hope for down the road.

I had been hoping that today would be some sort of back to normal schedule but dd was throwing up last night (more like spitting up really, it's always just clear) and today she went to school but came home after about an hour after it happened there too.  I wonder if I'll ever be able to accurately gauge the seriousness of anything going on with her.  I feel like my radar is permanently off.  So she's got an appointment with the dr to ask about acid reflux since this has been happening on and off for a while now. 

I don't know if I really will get to do a real workout today as I'd hoped and this week we don't have boxing at all but I'm going to try and make something happen each day, even if it isn't quite what I'd been looking forward to.

Gaye - Sorry about your day.  Hope it improves.

Shanti - The fair sounds cool.  It's nice that you have so many options to choose from, although I can't help your paralysis!

Mommajb - Hope you get something you need today too.

gotta go.

[1jooj]

Oh, Plady. Whoa. I just hope to hear wonderful news from your neck of the woods soon. And you are a good mom. And a good friend.

Shanti, cozy. It all sounds like all your work comes together perfectly under a theme of sheltering and warmth. Do you also felt tea cozies? I love tea cozies. And yes, it does look like a non-word, I know. But I don't see why these things can't come together in a display. It sounds lovely.

I am envious of the running (Mel38! and woot, Nic!), but not too envious because I've spent the past two weeks in the company of such a great friend, in the sanctuary of her friendship. And what times. We laughed and literally spread laughter around this city. We had an Indian restaurant manager come to our table and thank us for our laughter. We made an Iranian shopkeep laugh himself into hysterical tears. I had a Sri Lankan security guard thank me for being friendly. She almost assaulted a local in a case of mistaken identity (she thought he was a mannequin). And tonight we invited a stranger (who turned out to be a pro photog) to eat shawarma with us for dinner at the local dive. I came up with several really excellent ideas for souvenirs that absolutely MUST find their way into production. What a two weeks we had. After spending good times with a great friend, and now also getting hooked into the Abu Dhabi homeschooler network, I am truly hopeful for good times ahead when we return in fall. And I only cried a tiny bit when I dropped her at the airport tonight. She should be airborne by now. 

Add to that the likelihood that we may be returning a little earlier for summer vacay than I'd thought, and I am possibly on a roll.

Also, today I obtained my official certificate declaring that I am Muslim, so if dh wants to plan and execute a trip to Mecca (seriously, this could possibly happen yet this week, as we are on spring break), I would be allowed in. Not sure we can get visas in time, but I did my part.

Will report forward motion tomorrow!

[jenr8r]

Hey all! I'm new to Mothering, and hoping for some support in getting back in shape (among other things). I've been TTC, eating has improved, and I've joined the gym. I used to be a rock climber and runner a few years back, but I got out of practice, & last year was full of health problems...after that, and with being officially in my late 30's now, it's getting harder for me to drop lbs. I weigh the most now that I ever have, and am starting to feel pretty bad.

However, it's also possible I'm now pregnant for the first time (so maybe my weight gain/bloating is partly from that?), and wondering how much I "should" be doing in the first weeks, in case I'm right and I am? I am nervous I could overdo it and the implantation might not take. I know I overdid it a bit on the treadmill the other night, and just in case, I'm planning to take it easy this week until I know for sure whether I'm preggers (a HPT was neg yesterday). I've had a crampy feeling since around 8 DP-when I thought I should've O), but no spotting, even after i ran really hard. I guess it's possible I could have conceived the last week of Feb... just not sure.

Anyway, any thoughts or support you all could offer would be appreciated!

I plan to go to the gym once or twice this week, and jog outside at least once. ---motivation please!

[kerc]

Hi jen. welcome.  with both kids I was normally exercising. but apparently had no issues conceiving (both kids were TOTAL surprises). 

Jo: when/where do we meet up. Geofizz?travel plans?Jenlove?

Sparkle: I am --><-- this close to signing my kid up for climbing "team".  Hello. I live in the midwest. But I think my kid will be really good at it. Not nationals caliber, but I'm almost convinced she can do it.

I just wrote off checks to dd1 camp, dd2 camp, dh summer training program. I figure I'm due to spend some $$.

Must.finish.writing lab.students coming in 12 hours.

[sparkletruck]

Kerc - The thing is, if your kid is competitive in your REGION, she very well could make it to Nationals

[JayGee]

Yay for a fresh, shiny new April thread!

Welcome JenR!  I also was exercising when I got pregnant.  In the first weeks I just did what I had been doing (mostly running), but MS hits me BAD and from weeks 6-14, I barely managed to walk a mile or two.  Most of my running involved me, running to the nearest toilet .  Once I felt better, I walked and swam up until delivery.  Best of luck to you, and I hope you get your +++!

MelW ~ what a fun day with the girls!  DH and I love to take the kids to Home Depot to just play and look and dream.  We've spent hours in there and walked out without spending a dime.

bec ~ so jealous of your day with DH!  I'd love one of those myself, but it will have to wait until May when my parents are coming to visit.

Shanti ~ I say show it all!  You have so many unique talents that showcasing just one is selling you short.  Don't choose one, choose them all!

sparkle ~ getting ready to move is so fun.... NOT!

Plady ~  I kind of wonder if your DD is playing you at the therapist.  Maybe?  Congrats on another theatre production well done.  And yes, high needs/low gratitude seems to describe middle schoolers perfectly.

Jooj ~ yay for coming early to the states!!!!!  Glad you had such a lovely visit with your friend and made some inroads into the homeschool community there.  You will make your way.

RR ~ almost 5 miles of walking with a little running thrown in here and there this morning.  And played on the playground with my DDs this evening. Monkey bars are hard!

NRR ~ same old, same old...

[kerc]

Originally Posted by sparkletruck 

Kerc - The thing is, if your kid is competitive in your REGION, she very well could make it to Nationals

shhh.

also yes. but then you would see just why I might consider signing her up for the foreign legion. Like yesterday ... she was an absolute b**ch yesterday. Crabbing at her sister, crabbing at me. My response: I really, really, really want to force her to go to her room, like for the year. What does she learn from that?  Jack.

So....I decided she needs to figure out that when she feels that out of control she needs to figure a way to get back into control. Hence: forced 4 mile bike ride with yours truly the drill sergeant along for the ride. Tiger mom?  maybe. But I really think (a). when you are a maniac and are 9 you are crying out for attention from your parents. and (b). going out for a run helps everyone feel better (see also Mama Needs a Run). So....forced bike ride. And honestly today, new person from that 9 year old. And also mama got in 4 miles.

[Plady]

Originally Posted by JayGee 
Plady ~  I kind of wonder if your DD is playing you at the therapist.  Maybe?  Congrats on another theatre production well done.  And yes, high needs/low gratitude seems to describe middle schoolers perfectly.

Yes, I think about this too.  I often feel like I'm being played but if I am it's like even she doesn't realize she's doing it.  And I just never feel certain of where to come down.  With the kid who was hugging her inappropriately I let it go for quite a while and wouldn't have gotten the school involved had the other kid not been the one to go to the teacher.  And then as the story came out to others it felt like I hadn't been nearly proactive enough and should have made a much bigger fuss.  So then I follow up with the other mom and school and things settle down to the point that the two girls are acting like nothing happened except now my friend and I are in limbo while she tries to wrap her head around how it all got so serious.  Or like yesterday, dd fell off a swing.  It wasn't the biggest crash but she acted like it was, complained of a headache, asked if I thought she could have gotten a concussion (I thought not) and then she ended up throwing up all night.  So I'm left feeling all every time.  It's just completely bewildering.  I don't really understand chronic depression or anxiety about everything (and perhaps don't have appropriate empathy for it?) so maybe that's where we diverge from being able to understand each other?  Gah. 

Anyway.

Bec - Yup, so impressed.  If dh and I had a day to ourselves I don't think we'd do anything that fun.  We'd probably split off in our normal way, him to the garden, me to the kitchen, or just both end up on our computers. Is it too late for my treasure map to include a date?

Kerc - I'm putting the forced march into my bag of tricks.  This mama sure needs a run and it sounds like it wouldn't hurt a certain child I know.  (who I can hear spitting up even as I sit here typing... to go in or to let her handle it??? )

Jo - So glad for you that you had an awesome visit and recharge with your friend.  It sounds as good as it could possibly have been.  And way to go with Shanti's theme!  Sheltering and Warmth!  Totally.  I bet there could be some really great playlists made to go along with that. 

Well i tlooks like we've got company in bed again tonight.

[kerc]

Originally Posted by Plady 

Kerc - I'm putting the forced march into my bag of tricks.  This mama sure needs a run and it sounds like it wouldn't hurt a certain child I know.  (who I can hear spitting up even as I sit here typing... to go in or to let her handle it??? )

Its likely too late, but it might be worth saying, so I will .....but if you're worried (or your kid is worried) about you not reacting enough: can you go in there and just be there? My big kid will overreact to lots of stuff, but needs me to be empathetic. I learned long ago with her that she is terrible at empathy herself but when she feels rotten she needs me to say, "Gosh Erin that crash looked like it hurt. Should I sit with you? Do you need an ice pack?"  Responding that way seems to put it out of her head sooner. Sometimes she does need me, but it isn't super drama or anything. She just needs her mama. I came from a large family and my mom NEVER responded that way ("shake it off. You aren't hurt. " was her style). I don't want to raise a kid who runs to her mother for everything, but I don't think I am.