Faster, higher, stronger - Dingo athletes keep calm and carry on through August! - Page 6

[sparkletruck]

Nic - What everyone said!!



So, I started grad school today right and after a morning of running around exhausting myself, I ride my bike to campus, all sweaty and hot, run up to the class and ...... no one is there. Crap. Did I get the room number wrong. I call Dh (b/c Im still too tech-unsavvy to look the info up on my iphone) to confirm room number. Yes, it's right. So I hoof it over to the Eng. dpet. Yes, that's the room. Great. I'm missing my first class. well done. I ride back home (now literally dripping sweat like I just went for a run - gross and uncomfortable) and send the prof. and email to the effect that I looked, and what should I have prepared for Wed. I get an auto-reply that he is out of town until tomorrow!! Thanks. Would have been nice to know (apparently everyone else did, as NO ONE else was there. wtf)

Off to meditate before I freak out.

RR: whatever: weights, good, solid, bla bla bla

Sorry no more personals at the moment........

[Geofizz]

I've never understood why profs schedule their travel to overlap with the start of term.  It's not like the dates are a secret or are announced at the last minute.  I've got some colleagues who will still be on vacation this week.

Thanks for the advice, Mel.  I'm always weary of making my family sound too geeky.  "Want to play game after game of chess?  Love answering questions about black holes and the speed of light?  Remember loving algebra?  Love the squeak of a 1/4 size violin playing the Suzuki Twinkle variations?  My family is the one for you!"
 

Edited by Geofizz - 8/20/12 at 2:59pm

[babybugmama]

tjsmama thanks for the hug, I needed that... Your mini vaca sounds lovely! Color me green.

Geo - I dunno, I agree with Mel that perhaps that may work...have you tried alternate places to advertise? Asking old caretakers if they know of someone? Friends parents that may be willing to help in the short run until you can find someone? Is there aftercare at school?  Less than ideal, but again just until you can find something?

Awww Plady that made me feel good! You know I have one just like yours...so now when you whip it out (hee hee) you can think of me doing the same.

ditto bec on nic's rr...she's so right...puking + 2:06 = hardcore.  I yelled at a 1/2 one time as I was crossing the finish line to someone to "PUT IT OUT!" I was seriously sucking wind and a big mouthful of used tobacco was just nasty.

Bec the tooth fairy got stuck in China and just couldn't quite make it there...

After my post, dh and I had quite the heart to heart.  We'll see.

[Geofizz]

"The tooth fairy got stuck in traffic" is my line.  DD bought it 3-4 times.  DS not once.

Originally Posted by babybugmama 

Geo - I dunno, I agree with Mel that perhaps that may work...have you tried alternate places to advertise? Asking old caretakers if they know of someone? Friends parents that may be willing to help in the short run until you can find someone? Is there aftercare at school?  Less than ideal, but again just until you can find something?

I went to old sitters and friends.  I've got feelers out everywhere.  After school childcare is referred to in this house as Lord of the Flies childcare.  90 kids, 4 college aged kids as supervision.  It's bully central.  And full besides.  My RP says to take out anything about the extras and just post the bare minimum requirements.  I'll do that next.  A lot of people seem to be having this problem though!  I'm covered through Friday (cleared schedule), and I can swing a little longer if I have to just by coming home early.  That's not sustainable, though.

RPs hip is hurting a lot, so we're now not running 2 nights in a row anymore, but alternating with walking.  We'll see if we can keep the stress down with less intense exercise each night.

[Dmitrizmom]

{hugs} to all that need them

hoping people that need sleep get it and that people who have crazy people in their lives are able to segregate between their own crazy and other people crazy.

FTR, I'd kill to run as fast as some of you ladies (and might kill myself trying to! )!  Slowly getting faster at running, but I'm still not at all speedy.

I am getting stronger too... Still doing bootcamp (3x/wk), kettlebell (1-2x/wk), swimming (1x/wk), and whatever else I can fit in.  I've done 2 TRX classes and LOVE it!  Holding steady weight wise - need to get off about 12 lbs more to hit my weight watchers goal. Need to shed about 30 lbs to get to where I'd like to stay long term.

I have 2 races on my calendar for the fall:

1. Pufferbilly 10K (http://boonecountyymca.blogspot.com/p/fitnesswellness_20.html) on September 8. I will be running with a bootcamp buddy.

2. Chocolaterie Stam 5K (https://secure.getmeregistered.com/get_information.php?event_id=5781) on November 4.  This one I'm doing with a non-runner friend (maybe 2 or 3) and promised that I wouldn't be running fast. 

Eye-ing the Living History Farms Cross country 7 mile race in mid-November and the Jingle Bell Run/Walk in December - depends on my schedule...

New goal: 1/2 Marathon completed by my birthday next August.

[Realrellim]

Nic--so sorry about the race, especially the Gatorade and the pace group, though your time is nothing to sneeze at either. Gatorade is the kiss of death at races, IME. I really hope your next race goes better and your mean inner voice gets silenced by your reasonable inner voice that tells to to shut up and tells you to just RUN! (That's what mine does.)

BBM-- for the homefront.

tjsmama--mmm, donuts..... On the issues--I don't know that I have the energy but as long as they're going to keep pushing one issue, I'm going to keep backing them into a corner.

Geo--I'd definitely add "hourly rate negotiable" and if that doesn't work, maybe the sentence about interests? You can cover that part in the interview. Good luck with the new school year, new campus start date and the babysitter.

Plady--yay for perfect health! Sorry to hear about the family drama, and hope your neck recovers.

bec--hang in there!

sparkle--so sorry to hear about your first day. Ugh, like one of those nightmares, yk? I hope your first actual day goes much more smoothly.

RR: Bike ride, pulling J in the trailer. Great temperatures for it today.

NRR: School started today for R and at my campus though Tues/Thurs class doesn't start until tomorrow for obvious reasons. DH takes off on a business trip really early Wednesday morning and hopefully will get back in time to pick up the kids on Thursday because I'll be teaching and then going straight to the school board meeting. Should be interesting. Also, the mill and bond opposition finally got around to starting an official funded campaign. The opposition so far has been a so-called non-for-profit, which made their appearances at events as our official opposition illegal--and didn't stop them from spreading lies. The biggest irony? The tax increase on the average home ($250k) is about $35 a year--a tank of gas, right? The opposition's main argument is that the economy is too fragile and people can't afford $36--and on their donations page they're asking people to pony up $100 to oppose a $36 tax increase. It's ridiculous. The tax increase for someone who owns a half-million dollar home is only $70. That's cheaper than what they're paying to oppose it. Word is that they passed the hat at some monthly meeting for an unnamed political party and people were throwing Andrew Jacksons in. I keep telling myself that they may have more money, but we're smarter.

[sparkletruck]

Geo - I was thinking that I'd take out the extras too. I'm imagining being a college student with all that work and frankly, not wanting to do the extras. Walking to and fro and playing some games or helping with homework sounds about right to me.

RR: not sure. I want to hike in the mtns. this morning with the dog (its been raining a lot here and a hike after the rain last night sounds dreamy ... plus its 2000 ft of elevation in about 2 miles) but ...

NRR: ...as I received an email back from the prof. telling me "oh, you didnt get the email?..." and then telling me how much I have to read by tomorrow I seriously dont know if I have time for the hike unless I bail on dh and the kids tonight to study. Hmm.....

[1jooj]

Ugh, real. That is what's so frustrating, the tossing about of money as though it were no object at all, while splitting hairs over smaller amounts that would be more equitably paid. Sigh.

Well, really, that's just one frustrating thing on a pile of them, isn't it? 

Nic, as the rest have said. Not perfect. Amazing. Stupid Gatorade.

Plady, I am so impressed on your Family No-Sugaring. Part of me is actually looking forward to being back in UAE so that I can exercise proper control over our diet. Ramadan was generally good, but very tough, and my well-meaning friend's attempts to paleo-ify things I wasn't hot to eat anyway, mostly out of love, left me sometimes eating things that weren't the best choices. Back to eggs and greens and meat and greens and salads.

sparkle, whatever. I am still totally jealous and want to be in grad school.  I would not have handled the first class mix-up well, though.

Geo, childcare  Would definitely emphasize competitive pay, maybe lead with hours per week expected.

So, it is kickoff week in the online school. Both kids have lots of Web-based orientations, esp ds, since he is now a middle schooler. Getting into the habit of daily login and schedule-checking, and calendar syncing and all that. Of course, this is also our one dh-free, Ramadan-free week to try and see family and friends before other kids start school and all that, so we're squeezing in as much socializing as possible. The kids slept 11 hours last night as a result.

I ran this weekend. About a mile, with my friend and 4 little girls, barefoot in a downpour thunderstorm, because we went to a park about a mile from the house and got sort of ambushed by a combination of the storm's instability and our denial.  Anyway, going to get out after dd's AM Web session for a quick couple miles, and get right back on the strength training wagon.

Dh arrives Saturday. I don't know if the mother drama is over, but I don't really have time to bother too much. Bah.

[Nickarolaberry]

Right, y'all. Amazing, not perfect.

Eyes on the long term prize, running for life.

You're right.

But I"m still pissed. What can I say?  It is frustrating to work hard for something and then have it just evaporate and STILL have to work hard just to finish. I'll get over it. I did have a nice easy 5.5 miles this morning with friends and that was good. Have to roll that butt muscle though. It is tight.

In other news...last week of summer, last frenzy of trying to prepare myself and the kids. Freaking out over how logistical stuff will get done once school starts (like cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and oh yes..RUNNING) but it will be what it is. I'm going to try very hard to set aside a bit to have a monthly cleaning service. THat will take a lot of pressure off if I can swing it.

I also want to do something that sounds silly but seems extravagant to me...I want a water cooler in the house. We always used to have one, and then moved to FL and our water was filtered through the fridge. HEre it isn't but the tap water tastes totally nasty and we go through so much water that the brita thing can't keep up. Dh always says it's a frivolous expense and he's possibly right but the idea of very cold water available all the time and tastes good is just...I want it. So silly.

Back to the computer grindstone for class prep. Later mamas! 

[MelW]

Nic, good luck with all of the logistics for the school year. A monthly cleaning service would be delightful.

jo, a run is a run, even if it is to escape a thunderstorm!

sparkle, I would be so annoyed by the exclusion from the email about cancelled class. I'm a bit jealous of your grad school adventure, too!

real, I'm amazed at the stupidity of your opposition. Greedy stupidity!

dimitrizmom, your workout schedule is admirable, and race plans look terrific.

BBM at yelling at the finish line smoker. Were they racers lighting up post-race? I'm just trying to picture it....

RR- Tomorrow, tomorrow, a great run tomorrow....

NRR- We made a big splurge yesterday and bought a new couch, love seat and dining room table & chairs for an amazing deal. I have never bought a couch in my life (current living room furniture is an inherited hide-a-bed and a love seat that used to be in my MIL's office and 15 years old), nor owned a full-sized dining room table. Now I feel like an adult! Of course this lead to the need to touch up paint in the dining room, re-arrange all of the artwork in the house, re-organize the kids playroom to make space for the new table, and staying up very late getting the house in order. The playroom is especially exciting to me because the desk there is now cleared and ready for homeschooling!!

[bec]

So, the tooth fairy missed two nights in a row.   As it turned out, she...ahem...had the flu, and the fairy doctor ordered her to bed for 2 nights.  She gave Abby extra money as way of apology.  Gah!

So, Monday night was tri class (or the class that is holding the place for tri class).  It was a hoot!  We had an arms, legs and core station (3 stations in the same place, run by the coach), a cardio station where we jumped rope, and ran around a playground, and a kayaking station!  That was tons of fun!  Then, I got up early Tuesday morning to make the 5:30am boot camp.  I'm taking a rest day today, but hope to swim or run tomorrow.

For the race list: Pub Run 5k  on 8/25. This is going to be a blast.  Uh, no PR expected. 

Also, I am probably doing 5kayak on 9/9.  This looks like a lot of fun, too.  3k kayak followed by a 5k run.  Of course, I know this this neighborhood is super hilly (this is the same lake that I did my Oly on last year), but it still looks fun! How often do you get the opportunity to a kayak followed by foot race!

[1jooj]

Poor tooth fairy. 

Kids and I are swimming in online orientation sessions this week. It's working out well, though, since dh isn't home yet, my friend and her girls have hit the road, and we are alone in the house. I ran/walked 4 miles yesterday and walked 3.5 today while talking on the phone with my mother, trying to smooth out some of the drama without allowing her to feel like she was in any way justified for talking the way she did to my sister.  My interruption and reminder is and remains, I have a month left here, so what's it gonna be?

Party planning continues. Need to find an alteration person, as I am beginning to see that my friend does not have time, period. No big whoop.

[sparkletruck]

And here I thought having an alcolholic mother who dropped out of my life when I was 8 was a bad thing Jo and Plady on getting through the mama drama

Bec - those work-outs sound fun and challenging. good for you for getting back on the horse. and poor tooth-fairy

Melw - congrats on the furniture, and finally getting to adulthood! And for having the stamina to then reorganize the house! How did the run go?

JG - PT? Back? Wie Gehts?

Nic - On form. I dont really know, but I would imagine that more strength would help. When your muscles get tired, your form will falter... so more strength/stability would mean less faltering? Maybe skip the water cooler for now and get a few sessions with a trainer?...

RR: 60 min bike intervals, 20 minute run/walk intervals. Mind.over.Matter

I really need help with recovery. I know I should foam roll, but what else? I try to eat a lot of protien and make sure I get enough sleep, and I already have a meditation practice in place. But I swear my legs have no pick-up, no bounce, unless I take several days off in between. And yes I could do a bit less (like an hour instead of nearly 90 minutes) but its been harder this time around than in the past. Is is *just* age. I keep thinking about Dara Torres and how she described spending more time on recovery than on training now that she is in her 40's. Do any of you have recovery plans (do ice baths really help?)
Edited by sparkletruck - 8/22/12 at 10:13am

[bec]

Sparkle - Ice baths really help.  They are horrible and take a lot of moxy to get it done, but they really do help. 

[1jooj]

sparkle, those Whole 9 folks have opinions about recovery, and perhaps especially as I get older, I like them. This blog post spoke to me.

Crown prep was OK. I got a filling replaced too, and it looks pretty darn good. And I opted for a gold crown instead of porcelain. Yes, I did. Yes, you will be able to see it. 

[sparkletruck]

Back from first day of class. Surprise surprise; I feel inadequate. The class has five students, so I cant hide (I'm ultimately glad of this, but I also feel more on stage/self-conscious). The prof. is a handsome, down-to-earth guy whom I recognize from the weight room at the gym. He gave me a puzzled look and said "where do I know you from". I feel like my brain is blunted. That doesnt stop me from jumping in and talking, but I feel dumb as I do it. Hopefully this will fade. Hopefully my brain will wake up. But as Ive been wrestling with this g-d damned depression for several months now, I'm starting to feel hopeless about it and trapped, and now scared; my brain is a muddle and now I have to perform. Oh well. Im just glad you gals dont have high standards

[bec]

You are wrong, Sparkle.  We have very high standards.  That's just how much you rock.

[Nickarolaberry]

Originally Posted by bec 

You are wrong, Sparkle.  We have very high standards.  That's just how much you rock.

[tjsmama]

Originally Posted by bec 

You are wrong, Sparkle.  We have very high standards.  That's just how much you rock.

Yep.

jo~Hope your mama drama calms down soon!


It was quite the busy day in these parts. Yesterday was a bust, between my 8 hour evidence-based practice/research class for the new grad program () and a party at a friend's after. Today was jam-packed, starting with 6 am track. Then it was off to the doctor to get my Mirena....goodbye, super-expensive birth control pills that I have to remember to take after nightshift. A quick nap to sleep off the cramping, then some school shopping for DS and a stop at my PCP for a blood draw. I even managed to put away the suitcases and start cleaning up the house a teeny bit.

rr~Nothing like going to track every 2 months. Ha. I got the "you haven't been here in forever and clearly haven't been doing speedwork" workout. Everybody else did a mile at 5k pace, and then 4x400. I did 6x200! I did get a mile warmup and mile cooldown so I had some respectable mileage, at least.

[MelW]

Jo's linked blog post is terrific. I'm no real, and could rarely run back to back days until my kids were sleeping through the night. Other stressors seem to have similar effects for me.

RR- a slow 5k this morning.

NRR- Blackberry peach jam is pinging away on my counter. Tomorrow morning is set aside for pickle u-pick and our favourite blackberry patch.