Faster, higher, stronger - Dingo athletes keep calm and carry on through August! - Page 2

[Realrellim]

Hi all--sorry it's been quiet, but really grateful this thread wasn't 8 pages long.

Sending to all. I started writing out the list and realized it was pretty much everyone. Maybe it's an August thing? Or an aging thing? Or a climate change thing? All of the above?

tjsmama--sorry your XH is being a jerk about childcare. That's ridiculous on his part. Also sorry about the cavities. I'm dreading going to the dentist, which undoubtedly is why I haven't made an appointment in a year. (Not cavities, but apparently I clench my jaw often enough that I have fractured molars and don't want to hear that another one will need a cap....)

1jooj--beautiful dress.

RR: short ride today to get R registered for school. Last week's activities included an 11.5M run (supposed to be 12, but I was slow and tired) and a 7 mile hike with 1500 elevation gain (main reason the 12M became the 12M that wasn't). It also included hot springs (yay!) and swimming (who knew I still could?). It was nice to see that my swimming endurance was decent after not having swum in a year.

NRR: this will be an insane week, so I apologize in advance for either posting every single day as a form of procrastination or for not posting at all....

[tjsmama]

Nothing like a little 2 am posting from work...

My Sunday long run was indeed ugly. In retrospect, it wasn't quite as ugly as I thought it was at the time, but pretty close. I was chugging along, not feeling great, but doing ok, until mile 8, at which point I had a complete and total mental breakdown. 3 miles of wogging later, I rallied to run the entire last mile. Which, you know, just confirms the fact that it was a mental breakdown. Yes, I was in physical pain, but I've run through far worse before. I think I may have come to the conclusion that I shouldn't be doing an intermediate training program, given my state of mind and physical ability at the moment. Maybe I should be dropping down to a beginner program. Sigh. We'll see. If I can get any kind of long run in while I'm in Ohio this week, it will be a very good thing and maybe there will be hope for an intermediate program.

Meanwhile, I'm on my fifth out of the last six nights, with one more to go tomorrow night, and I'm tired. I'm first in line to get release tomorrow night if we're not busy, and I'm praying for it. My flight to Ohio is at 11 am on Wednesday, so if I have to work, I will have time to go home, shower, throw a couple things in my suitcase, and head for the airport. And it's only a 2 1/2 hr flight, so it's not like I'll be able to get a ton of sleep on the plane. Besides which, I'm just tired. I would really love to just be able to sleep tomorrow night.

[MelW]

Gaye, fingers crossed for release before your flight. I wonder if you could find a partner for your long runs (tricky with your work/kid schedule, I bet). The cheering and accountability might make a big difference for the mental part. I know that my post-night's motivation is almost nil. I have been known to sit down in the middle of a planned run, convinced that I'm too tired to go on.

Shanti, what course(s) will you take in the fall? Hang in there!!

Real, good luck with your busy week! Hooray for swimming!

RR- Yesterday was a 5k trail run and a river swim. Today planning strength training but need to put in some time at the office. I worked from home all week last week and have paperwork to catch up on!

[Plady]

Hi Mamas!

It's good to get back online and I'm with Real, glad there weren't the usual # of pages or I'd never catch up. 

We had a mostly good trip out to Yellowstone (it's really far!) and we found that our kids are amazing campers and car riders and generally fun and great kids.  Not that we didn't know that but it was just totally reinforced.  Bad part wa they were still largely sick the entire time.  Ali G was most resilient and most sick but both spent a crazy amount of time puking into cups/ice buckets/water bottles etc. and we had some very long nights managing it all in the tent.

Despite the health issues we saw more of the park than I'd ever seen in a single visit before including nearly every animal on the list and the girls and I all earned our Junior Ranger badges. 

Now that we're home we're prepping to start something like a WHole30, wondering if any of you have had your kids do it too?  I think that the no-sugar thing will help us all and probabl;y mostly the kids with their recovery from Pertussis.  However, I'm not really ready to commit to the actual whole 30 days starting today since I can see that with travel to my mom's still n the horizon, sticking to that will be more than I can willingly do so I'm thinking that Atkins Induction is enough in my bag of tricks already that I can handle that on auto-pilot and then start the real Whole 30 on Sept. 1.  Any thoughts?

Sorry for no personals, it's time to start the many loads of laundry to eradicate all the puke that we brought home.
 

[MelW]

Welcome back, Plady! Your attitude is amazing- having a good trick despite the puking!

I don't have any thoughts on the Atkins/Whole 30 decision, but am going rather low carb here for a while since I have developed a yeast infection post-antibiotics for the bug bite cellulitis thing. This afternoon I'm working from home so I can wear a skirt and no underwear and "air out". The heat and sweat are not helping. I'm hoping that extra probiotics and no grains or sugar (I can't say no to fruit in August, just can't) will do the trick.

[sparkletruck]

I'm back too (19 hours in the car over the past day and a half), and thankful for being able to catch up easily.

The trip was glorious, and I'm feeling a little after-trip-blues. But listen to this: I ran ~7 miles, with some serious climbs, I rode 25 miles, with even more climbs (like, almost 10 miles of class 2, and this was my first ride of the year, and, like, 10th annual workout total , so I had to relearn how to shift gears, so inevitably I would forget how to shift just as I hit the bottom of a hill, and would shift into a much harder gear - DOH! ... but it was a kick-a** work-out), and lastly, I walked about 7. Oh, and we back-packed with the kids for 3 days, a;though the "hikes" were only 3-4 miles long each day... More exercise in a week than Ive done since March. I'm optimistic that this is the turn-around Ive been looking forward to, especially as the kids start school Monday

Jo - It would be VERY hard to do consistent exercise with that sleep/eat schedule. It will come around. I'm sorry about that lousy feeling that comes from the lapses. The dress is beautiful, and thank you for what I found in the mail on my return; I will look into it. Finally, I will be very interested to hear how the BCP's work - I dont want to go that route (btdt, didnt like it), but I too am getting to the end of my rope.

Plady - Happy Homecoming, and congrats on the job. Need I say that you must thoroughly clean your house before we arrive

JG - Happy Homecoming to you too!

MelW - Ack on the infection (both, but I meant the "privates" one especially).

I wish I could describe how wonderful these two weeks have been, all the illuminating conversations and interesting people and needed perspective, but it was

[Plady]

Sparkle - Yeah!  I hear you, I'm hoping that we will all be totally healthy and the house in good shape.  Ali and I will be in Cali until Monday that week and C will be gone the week before too so hopefully dh can resist the urge to trash the place in our absence and all will be well.    (Kidding, he's the neatest one of us). So glad your trip was rejuvenating!  Ours was more of quarantine abroad and thinking back it did feel empty of interaction beyond the four of us but that has its place too right?

MelW - Missed the bog bite drama but anything that requires abx sucks in my book.  Hope you're well on your way to health and the weather seems to be cooling here.

Mel38 - Here's hoping you get a breather!  Sounds like an unsummer.

Gaye - And for rest and rejuvenation for you too!

Jo - Whoa lady!  Read your poem and it is just so fully in my mind, it's going to be there for a long time I can tell.  Haunting.  You have The Way with words.
 

No sugar day 1 in the bag.  Kids so far have been pretty calm cool and collected about it.  And, Mel38, I was just yesterday telling dh that I'm thinking about painting Keep Calm and Carry On on our living room wall and so I really chuckled when I saw the August thread.

[sparkletruck]

Originally Posted by Plady 

Jo - Whoa lady!  Read your poem and it is just so fully in my mind, it's going to be there for a long time I can tell.  Haunting.  You have The Way with words.

where can this be found?

[JayGee]

Real ~ you're so right!  It's a good think this thread isn't 20 pages long! Hope your insane week hasn't been too insane.

Jo ~ yes, where can we read your poem???

Plady ~ welcome home!  I'm sorry your vacation wasn't all it might have been although it sounds like your family really made the best of it.  As for Whole30 with kids, I have not done it, but I'd really like to.  I think my children would benefit from less sugar and grains than they are currently eating.  Dinner is always Whole30 compliant, but breakfast, lunch and snacks are another story altogether. 

sparkle ~ welcome home to you too!!!  So glad you had such a wonderful, active vacation.  It's hard to come home, isn't it?

tjsmama ~ I don't know how you do it.  Seriously.  I think I'd have collapsed from exhaustion months ago!

MelW ~ healing vibes for your infected bite and the yeastie beastie.

RR ~ Did Week 5, Day 2 of C25K on Monday and took a long walk last night.  Today I'm headed out for Day 3, the dreaded 20 minute run with no walk breaks .

NRR ~ Vacation in Tennessee was so much fun!  Like sparkle, I've got a bit of the coming-home blues myself.  Somehow being in the hot, dry, parched flatlands of Illinois just doesn't compare to the verdant mountains of the Great Smokies.  Go figure....  We did some hiking, went horseback riding and whitewater rafting, swam in the river a ton, and did a bunch of super-touristy stuff that I normally avoid (GoKarts, Dixie Stampede, Putt Putt).  My kids LOVE those things though, and the Dixie Stampede was pretty cool.  Now it's back to real life though, and school starts one week from today.  Eeek! 

[Nickarolaberry]

Hi mamas!

I've been rather AWOL myself lately from here...not for lack of thinking about you all, though. Welcome back from vacation Sparkle, JayGee, Plady. You all seem to have very cool 'active' family vacations. I wish I was in your families!

Jo, your poetry is gorgeous (as are you, inside and not incidentally outside too). I also wish I could come and spend some serious quality time with you and your kids hanging on the farm, walking and running, and just talking and 'being.' Wouldn't that be amazing?

I am with the kids this week at my folks' in NJ. We have been going to the park, going to the lake, etc. every day. But no real hiking or fun stuff like that. It's seriously gross and humid out which is part of it. Lack of funds another part, and reluctant kids...sigh. They love my parents' house because there are so many TVs and they can veg out endlessly. 

As for me...I am feeling somewhat unmoored spiritually lately and that is not great timing because I'm about to start teaching in a RELIGIOUS high school. I am hoping the teaching will anchor me again and what has happened before will again...that in talking about it and explaining it to the kids, it clarifies things in my own head. Two out of the four topics I'm teaching (3 out of 5 class periods) are 'religious' subjects so I will get that opportunity...

In the meantime I am also trying to eliminate SHOULD from my vocabulary and attempt to live in the moment, enjoy the present. I was looking at photos of my kids from years past last night and so sad because I have been so anxious and worried for so long -- most of their lives really -- I feel I have missed so much being there with them even though I have always been 'with' them. Does that make sense? It makes me sad. I feel I have failed them in a major way.  And what is unfortunate is that the worry and anxiety are not gone. I still struggle with it all the time and it makes me cranky and want to be alone, and that is what drives my isolation from them.

As for running...that's going pretty well. My half marathon is in a week and a half, so I'm starting to think about a taper. I have a few twinges here and there, and trying to hold those off and hope for a good race this time. I have that time goal but I also know that a high summer northeastern half marathon might not give me the conditions to meet it...if not, there's always another race. I've come very far with my running and it seemed for a while like every race had to be a PR but the truth is if I want to keep running for a long time (and I do) I have to develop some patience and compassion for myself also.

That does not come easy for me.

Also please think 'stay put baby!' vibes for Zub...she's on bedrest (31 wks).

Anyway. Happy Wednesday, Dingo mamas. I  you.

[Nickarolaberry]

Serial posting.

I have a question for you all. In light of the fact that I have tried, (often failed but tried!) to be a gentle discipline, responsive to cues, etc. kind of mom -- I am having a hard time with a decision. I really want my kids to be doing something consistently active and I would like them to sign up for the JCC swim team (which is not really high pressure at all, but it is 3x a week through the year, plus we are members so we get a discount). They are not into it. I am considering 'forcing' the issue (at least for a time) and/or 'incentives.'

Dd1 does karate twice a week but it's not really 'active' in the way she needs. Dd2 does a gymnastics class, but it's only 45 mins. per week and more frequent is cost prohibitive. Ds will do soccer in the fall and then nothing until baseball season, in all likelihood.

Dd2 would prefer a rock climbing gym, but it's too far away and too expensive. Dd1 would prefer to bicycle, but I don't have the ability to be with her and there is nowhere safe for her to really go out on her own for enough time to make it exercise. They all swim really well but not 'laps' per se.

Am I mean and/or crazy? 

[Geofizz]

Nic, it's OK to require that your kids get a minimum amount of exercise each week.  You have cost and time to also consider.  Working full time, it's unreasonable to support the time required to run each kid in a different direction to meet that minimum.  Living on a budget means limiting to total time. 

I wonder if you can find 2 options for the kids:  JCC swim team and something else acceptable.  Give the kids the choice and live with it.

Alternatively, explain your reasons for wanting them to do swim team:  Growing children need exercise, adults need exercise and swimming is something you can do your whole life, time and money are in limited supply, and swim team seems like it fits all the requirements.  Bonus is that there are nice kids there and a great coach.

Incentives in our house are used liberally when we're asking our kids to do something that's hard.  Starting something new is hard for my kids, so it's incentivized.  Trying out something they're not thrilled about is pretty had.  Things that are routine or are exciting don't require incentives, so we don't do it.  We tend to clearly state that we see that this is hard for them, we're proud of their effort, and therefore we'll do X.

[JayGee]

Nic, I agree with Geo.  I basically forced my kids to do summer swim league.  I signed them up, so they were doing it. Period.  They ended up loving it, and DS wants to swim year round now.  The camraderie of the team, the great coach we had and watching their times decrease did wonders for confidence, fitness and interest in swimming.  Your children may not be thrilled now, but they probably will enjoy it tremendously once they get started.  Swimming is a lifetime sport that everyone can do into old age.  I see elderly men and women swimming laps at the Y every day.  Many of them have limited mobility on land (one is even in a wheelchair, another uses a cane), but through swimming, they maintain cardovascular fitness.

And let me add a short, somewhat related story from yesterday about why I am so glad I force my kids to take swim lessons, do swim team and push themselves in the pool.  Yesterday I took the kids to our favorite pool, where they have diving boards and a big main pool.  DS invited a friend.  Turns out, his friend could barely swim!  He jumped off the diving board and I had to coach him to dog paddle back to the wall.  This kid is 10!  Jacob tried SO hard to involve his friend in the pool, suggesting games in the shallow end, stuff that didn't involve actual swimming or diving, etc. His friend was so terrified that he spent over an hour just sitting in a chair at poolside.  Finally, DS gave up and just dove for the last 1/2 hour, but he was so bummed that his friend wouldn't/couldn't enjoy the day at the pool.  Now why his friend's Mom allowed him to come with us to a pool, without mentioning to me that her kid is terrified of water, is another story altogether.  I am glad that my own children are comfortable in the water and can enjoy a day at the pool, and being on swim team has gone a long way toward achieving that level of comfort.

[Plady]

Morning mamas,

Nic - Yep, I'd 'force' them citing adult wisdom trumping childhood desire to watch tv.  That's what we are doing with soccer this fall for both girls and we've done it in the past too.  Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't but at least they get a taste of the activity (and the exercise).  For dd1 the swim team was great for her physically although she didn't love the team, while she was doing it there was a real obvious benefit and she amazed herself with some of what she managed to do (Like the day she set out to swim 3/4 of a mile and swam 2 instead!)

I'm sorry about all the stresses and anxiety clouding your way with your kids.  Could you benefit from some rx for anxiety for a while?  You've got all lot happening on the surface and all the more down deeper so maybe a little boost would help see you through. And talk it out to us too, if it helps.

Sparkle - Something tells me Jo is being too modest and might not want a like posted, but I took a tip from another FB fan of hers who 'Looked Inside the Book!".  You can scroll from a story ahead or a story behind to find Jo's very powerful poem.

JG - I'll keep you all posted on how this goes for kids.  So far so good although I am letting them have cherries and I'm sure we'll all succumb to blackberries once they appear all over the place (although happily they are pretty low-sugar as fruit goes).

I've got my job interview on the schedule today and it is dh and my 14th anniversary.    I really have no idea of what kind of money this job might pay so I'm trying to manifest ridiculously large numbers just for kicks. 

Okay, off to start Induction Day 2 with the fam.

 

[MelW]

Plady, happy anniversary to you and good luck with the fabulous, well-paying job!!

JayGee, glad you had a good vacation and enjoyed the "touristy" stuff.

Nic, if possible I'd offer a bit of a choice of activities- does the JCC offer anything else that would work on your schedule? (Note: my judgment clouded by my absolute inability to convince my oldest to take swimming lessons because of performance anxiety on her part- she has learned to swim at the beach/river, and she was right in the end that she could teach herself to swim... as a childhood swimmer she almost drove me crazy on this one and I still resist the urge to do stroke coaching when we're out in the water.) Two choices is nice, if you can offer swimming or soccer, or something like that. But I agree with the dingo chorus that the kids will probably like it once they start and it's a great way for the whole family to get some exercise at the same time- perhaps them in the pool and you on the treadmill? Enjoy your taper and upcoming half, too. Your attitude about PRs seems perfect!

sparkle, sounds like a terrific vacation. Good luck with keeping the exercise rhythm going as the kids go back to school. You sound so wonderfully happy post-vacation :)

RR- A quick hard 30 minute midday run with my husband. Nothing like a little competition to make me push myself.

NRR- Course prepping for Anatomy and Physiology subbing in Sept/Oct. And distracting myself on MDC.

[sparkletruck]

Really people? Where are you!

RR: Wed = 60 min bike intervals, 20 minute run/walk. Decent. Better than before the vacation, but still hard. Very out of shape = lead legs. Today = weights. 'Nuf said. I am VERY weak. But I did get that "oh yeah, it feels good to be strong" feeling, so inspiration, if a little Jane-Fonda-with-5lb.-weights kind of a work-out (no spandex or head-band, though, so at least I've got that goin' for me)

[Nickarolaberry]

Where am I?

Today...bat mitzvah dress shopping. 

And that is all I have to say about that.

No run yet today. Taking the kids to the lake beach in a little while. Trying to figure out my new phone. If anyone has my cell number and needs the new one, pm me. Got an LG Lucid. The touchscreen type thing with autocorrect is driving me mad.

[mommajb]

I am waiting for something positive to come into my head. No matter what area of my life I look at I am beating myself up. When I force some perspective on my first world problems things are better than they feel but geesh they feel terrible about now.

I am running with dh and it is nice to have the time with him and better than pushing the jogger but still not quite the release/time alone/time with other women I need.

We have an accepted offer on the house in Indiana and I need it to be smooth to closing and to close asap. (I think Sept 18 is the deadline in the contract with Aug 17 for the inspection.) All positive thoughts, prayers and good vibes appreciated.

I'd offer more thoughts but my whining would get old fast!

[tjsmama]

Where am I? Ohio!

plady~Happy anniversary! Hope the job interview goes (went?) well!

mommajb~ Congrats on the accepted offer and for a smooth path to closing.


I ended up getting to go home at midnight the other night, which was awesome. We were super busy when I left that morning, so I knew I would be coming in, but i requested to be assigned to admit so that I could potentially go home early, and it worked perfectly! I could have even left at 11, but I was starving and had already cleaned out my refrigerator at home, so I stayed to eat when the cafeteria opened. I still didn't get a ton of sleep (had a hard time sleeping thanks to working 6 out of 8 nights), but I got about 4 or 5 hours, far better than being up all night!

And now, I'm here in Ohio. Hanging out with the ex-in-laws. It's a little weird, to be honest. I've never stayed with my XFIL and his wife before...I always stay with my MIL or SIL. It's nice though, I really like his wife, even if he STILL (after knowing him for over nearly 20 years) makes me nervous/uncomfortable. I'm trying to convince BIL and/or SIL to come over and hang out this afternoon/evening. And tomorrow, I get my little man back! For a few days, anyway.

rr~I DID IT! 14 miles, in the bag! Whoop, whoop! I won't say that it was a GREAT run, but it was good. Not sure if it was the lower altitude, or a better attitude, or what, but it just worked. I felt pretty darn good, actually, up until mile 12 when my legs/quads kind of fell apart. The humidity just about killed me (holy sweat, batman), but overall, it was good. I needed that confidence boost!

[Plady]

Mommajb - Clean and easy selling vibes to you mama.  I haven't ever heard you whine yet so feel free to bring it.

Sparkle - I don't know, maybe there's secretly something empowering about lycra tights and a thong leotard with matching headband?

Deep into sugar withdrawal right now.  Ow.  I knew those raspberry bars and whiskey cake and beers and ice cream and.....  would come back and bite me.  I can handle it.  I can handle it.  I dreamt about eating pastries all night. 

So I did get the job and the gist of Job Part 1 is $15/hour to do all the backstage work I'd have done for free had anyone just said 'please'.  So while it isn't a huge salary and benefits it's still great and it was clear that they were really relieved when I said yes which is fun too.  Then I had a chat with the artistic director and she wants me to write up a plan for the most awesome Children's Theatre program I can come up with so she can figure out how to make it happen.  She's really gung ho that a kids program will be her legacy and she wants me to lead the charge!  No discussion of money for that yet but it could be a dream job if I craft it carefully.
 

Spent a few hours eradicating thistle from the chicken yard, they're psyched to have so much space, I hope that it makes it harder for predators to sneak up on them since we apparently lost one or two birds while we were away.  Now to do some framing with dh.  An anniversary project?  We celebrated by making the kids clean up the kitchen while we watched Breaking Bad for the first time.  It felt very grown up.  I tried to ignore the feeling that it would be even more fun with dessert and a drink.