Monday Miscellany

First of all, Norah had a great weekend with her Grandpa:His name is Ernie, so he brought her a stuffed Ernie, which worked out for some cute pics of them together.

And, we had a great Christmas party on Saturday night -- we had a lot of fun and all got some great loot!

Jerry's dad left this morning, and then I had a doctor appointment, so Jerry took the morning off. My dr. apt was just an annual check up, and really, the only reportable thing about that is that I am officially back to my pre-preggo weight! I had weighed myself at home a week or two ago and saw that, but today at the doctor's office, their scale reported the same number, so I was pretty pleased.

Of course, the suck of the matter is that while the weight is gone, the shape isn't necessarily back. Not that I ever had abs of adamantium, but before pregnancy, I did have a relatively flat, firm tummy. But, now it is...squidgier...than before. So this is part of the reason for incorporating the cross training into my runing routine; running is great for burning calories, and it does some toning, but I really need to work on strength and stretching exercises in order to restore my body to some of its former shape.

Lastly, I chose sleep this morning instead of an early run -- I just feel completely exhausted today -- so I suppose an evening run after work is gonna be in order if I am going to continue to adhere to "ze plan." That's okay; I really appreciated that extra hour of snooze time this morning!

8 Miles

Yesterday's cross training consisted of shopping, wrapping gifts, and cleaning the house, so I never got around to testing out Jillian Michaels' Shred. But, I think all 3 of those activities count, and the good news is that I'm about 95% done with my Christmas shopping. I just have to get everything for Jerry (but his stocking is done and so are his gifts "from" Norah) and then go stand in line at the PO to ship off everything else. Ugh...not looking forward to that.

This morning, I did not get up early for my planned 8 miler; instead, I "slept in" until 6:40 when Norah got up, then went for my run at about 7:30. It was later in the morning than I had originally planned, but since it's a Saturday and Jerry's home, I don't necessarily have to run in the pre-dawn hours if I don't want to, and because it's December, the weather is temperate enough to run mid-morning. So, I ran my planned 8 miler, and it went pretty well. I actually remembered water this time so that was a huge bonus right there.

I finished it up in 1:24:16, which is an average pace of 10:33/mile, which is right within my target pace range, so that was good.

Anyhoo...my FIL is here for the weekend, so we've been visiting with him, and he has graciously offered to watch Norah this evening while we go to our Christmas party with friends -- not that he has to do much; she goes to bed between 6-6:30, so he's mainly just volunteering to be here in the house with she and Scooter while we're out. Scooter will probably require more attention than she will.

But speaking of the holiday party, I must skedaddle to make the appetizer I'm bringing. Toodles!

4 Months and 4 Miles

Today, Norah is 4 months old. And she continues to be such a sweet baby who eats and sleeps well, and seems to be a happy, healthy girl.

This month hasn't brought about any major milestones, but rather, it's been a refinement of many things: She's stronger on her tummy and she tolerates it for longer periods of time now. She sits propped up better. And she reaches for and grasps things with better and better control. And, everything she grabs goes into her incredibly drooly mouth.

She is also "talking" up a storm now -- lots of baby babble that sounds mostly like a hybrid of a cat and a pterodactyl -- and recently, she's been sticking her tongue out and trying to make sounds. I can't quite describe it very well, and I have failed to get it on video so far, but it's pretty darn cute to watch her experimenting with talk. And we have lots of good "conversations" :)

The last thing that has been significant this month is her continuing interest in the world around her. She turns to see us when we talk, and we can see her concentrating on watching, hearing, and touching things. She has even taken a keen interest in watching Scooter, and we've even seen her reaching out to him in an attempt to touch him.

And, of course, she remains as cute as ever:
In running news, I got up early this morning for a 4 miler. It went well, and I finished it in 43:25. It was again incredibly humid out, and there was fog! We don't have fog very often here in FL -- but the effect was kind of fun, kind of like running through a cloud.

Right on Schedule

I overslept this morning by about 20 minutes, and my first instinct when I oversleep is this: Oh well, I can't go run now. Then, I go back to sleep. But, this morning I powered past such apathy and got out of bed and got ready.

With 20 minutes less time than usual, I didn't have as much time to get ready for my run as I normally do, so after pumping and taking Scooter out, I skipped my usual cup of coffee, etc and hopped right into my running clothes and got out the door. I ran a solid 3 miler and was back with plenty of time to shower before Norah woke up. And, I'm so glad I didn't just brush the run off because I had slept in some, which is exactly what I would've done a week ago.

Now that I have a hard copy training schedule to follow, I feel so much more committed and motivated, and registering for and committing to those races in early 2010 has really provided me with the necessary mojo to create some consistency for myself. It's been so long since I ran with a schedule that I had kind of forgotten how helpful it is!

Cross Train Tuesday

I am the sort of runner who runs and...rests. I really don't do any other kind of exercise. Occassionally, I do some yoga, and occassionally, I do some weight training, but by "occassionally," I mean like once a month. Or so.

So, in an effort to remedy this and in devising my new training schedule for the HMs I mentioned yesterday, I decided to incorporate some cross training on Tuesdays and Fridays. Problem? I don't have a gym membership, so I have to look elsewhere to find methods for cross training. Problem solver? On Demand.

Even though I have long known that On Demand has exercise programs, I've never really thought to explore it and see what's there. What I discovered is that there's a plethora of programs on there -- all for free! There's everything from yoga to Jillian Michaels to a variety of aerobics and strength training programs; in fact, there was so much to chose from, I felt a little overloaded trying to select something for today.

In the end, I decided to do a 15 min yoga ab program, and it worked out perfectly. I like short, concise workouts when it comes to any form of strength training and this worked out very well: It was challenging, so I felt like I got a decent little workout, but because of its short length, I didn't get bored.

For Friday's XT, I'm thinking of testing out that She-Devil Michaels and doing Shred 1. I'll let you know how it goes.

Ouch!

Question: What's more painful than training for 3 half marathons?

Answer: Paying the registration fees for 3 half marathons!

So, I registered for the Miami Half, the A1A Half and the Disney Princess Half this evening, and I think my checking account just had heart palpitations about the race fees. Oh well. I'm looking forward to all 3 races, and it's gonna be an awesome half marathon bonanza in January, February, and March!

3 Miles and Outtakes

For the past few weeks, my running has been very inconsistent: One week, I have regular runs and I log some respectable mileage; then, the next week, I barely run at all. In an effort to correct this, I decided that this week is a fresh start and my primary goal is simply some consistency. So, to start off such freshness, I got up at the ungodly hour of 5 am and went out for a 3 miler. It was nice and cool out, so the run felt good. It wasn't fast (33:06), but I got it done. And on a Monday morning at that!

In other news, yesterday I stuffed Norah into a cute holiday outfit that my stepmother had sent her, and Jerry and I staged a photoshoot in an attempt to capture some good pics for our Christmas card. It's not easy taking pics of a baby, but we did get some shots that were decent, and in the end, I put together a card that I felt was "good enough." But, what I thought was funny were some of the "outtakes." If I were a more creative person, I'd find a clever way of using these pics for the Christmas card!

Without further ado, here are a few pics that did NOT make the Christmas card this year:

Beach Baby

I've been MIA the last few days because my dad was in town visiting. He arrived Thursday evening and spent the weekend with us. We had a good visit, and he enjoyed meeting his granddaughter for the first time. And, since part of any visit to FL should include a trip to the beach, we spent yesterday morning doing just that (despite the fact that it wasn't a very sunny day).

So, here's Norah doing "Super Baby" beachside. Here she is with Jerry. She got to dip her little legs and toes into the water.

Here she is with me -- she's clearly more interested in the towel than anything else.

Here she is with my dad; she's wearing her swimsuit cover up here. Yes, not only does she own a large variety of swimsuits, but she also has accompanying swimwear accessories.

And here we are as a family; unfortunately, she's scowling at the camera, but I swear that she didn't have a grumpy moment during the entire outing.

So, I just dropped my dad off at the airport, and it's back to normal for us but only for a few days because Jerry's dad is coming to visit us next weekend. We're referring to this month as "The December of Dads"!

Of Snails, Sprinklers, Snot Rockets and Sweat

Snails
One hazard of running in the dawn's early light is that the night's snails are still sliming their ways across sidewalks, and I always feel bad if I step on one, so I do my best to keep a sharp eye out for them and avoid crushing them. This is tough to do in the 5 am darkness, but streetlights help illuminate the path and I can distinguish their "snail trails" glistening in the semi-darkness. And lord knows that snails, unlike the lightning-fast lizards, are not fast enough to scurry out of a runner's thundering footfalls, so I always have to be vigilant.

Sprinklers
South Florida has been in a drought for the past few years, so during the winter (which is more accurately called the "dry season"), watering lawns is restricted to either the pre-dawn or post-dusk hours. This means that many communities set the timers on their sprinklers for the time when I am running in the early morning. And unfortunately, it seems that these sprinklers are often times do more watering of the sidewalk than the grass, so I constantly find myself getting sprayed. In some ways, it's not so bad because it's kinda cool and refreshing; but in most ways, it's annoying because the last thing I want on my early morning run is to get splashed in the face with water.

Snot Rockets
I am still somewhat congested, so admittedly, I had to fire off some snot rockets this morning on my run, and one of them did not get much trajectory and I found myself with a stream of boogers on my face. Not so bueno. I had to wipe it off with my hand and then wipe my hand on my shorts. Gross. As Jerry told me last night, "You're cute, but you're filthy."

Sweat
The humidity this morning was 93% (rain is in the forecast), so it was a sweaty, sweaty run, and when I got home, I was literally dripping sweat on the floor of the bathroom as I got ready to shower. Yeah, between the snotty nose and the sweaty face, I was a picture of prettiness. Guess I needed that sprinkler to the face!

Back at It

After nearly a week with no running, I finally woke up this morning feeling good, so I got out there for an early AM 3 miler. Granted, the running loosened some of that mucus up, so there were some phlegmy coughs and a snot-rocket or two, but that's why running after a cold or flu is good: It helps dislodge up some of that congestion.

Other than simply getting up and actually getting out there for the run, there's not much to report about it.

Holiday Weekend Wrap Up

Bullet-point style:

• Had a nice anniversary with the Jer-Bear. We stayed in and made a nice dinner at home this year, but it was still a nice evening together.
• Had a great Turkey Day with friends: We ate lots, drank lots, talked lots, watched some football, enjoyed having kidlets running around this year, and were, in general, merry.
• Friday, we put up our tree and decorated our house for Christmas. This means we popped "Christmas Vacation" in the DVD player while we assembled and decorated and wrapped. In our household, it's tradition to hear "Shitter's full!" while we hang ornaments.
• We did not get up at 3 am to shop Black Friday. I'm afraid of that kind of shopping.
• On Saturday, we spent the afternoon with friends.
• And on Sunday, we repeated this, but added football watching and a shrimp boil to the visiting (and, I can say that a shrimp boil is WAY better to enjoy outside in FL in November rather than FL in July).
• And through all of that, I did not run much. In fact, the only running I've done in the past 7 days has been the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.
• The primary reason for the lack of running has been that I've been sick. Remember last Tuesday when I said I was sick, but I thought it was a 24-48 hour bug? Yeah, turns out it's more like a 168 hour bug. It's been a week, and while I feel better than I sound (I sound like a cross between Darth Vadar and a lounge singer who's been smoking for 30 years), I don't feel great.
• Hopefully one or two more days will heal me so I can return to the running.

So, it was a great Thanksgiving Vacation, and it sucks that now it's back to regularly scheduled work. However, only 3 weeks until the end of the semester and then I have two weeks off, so I can't complain too much.

I hope everyone else enjoyed their long weekend and had a great holiday!

Daddy's Girl

This morning, I got to sleep in while Jerry got up with Norah -- which was a wonderful treat -- but what was funny is that when I got up, I found her dressed in her Godzilla t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and I thought to myself, "Hmmm...a black graphic tee with jeans...this ensemble seems familiar..." Oh, that's right! It's the kind of outfit Jerry always dresses himself in!

He says that he didn't purposely dress her in clothes that resembled his own, but that's what I find the funniest part of this: He dressed her in clothes that he felt went well together, which just speaks to his aesthetic: Boy or girl, he feels that black tees and jeans always look good. Which, I have to admit, despite the fact that she will surely be mistaken for a boy today, I think she looks dang cute! And, Jerry's not so bad himself ;)

And for those on the fence about which one of us Norah resembles, I think these two pics confirm it: She definitely looks like Daddy's girl!

Tamarac Turkey Trot 2009 Race Report

The turkey trot is always one of my favorite races of the year, primarily because of its convenience: The course goes right past my house, and the start/finish are about a block away. So, race day preparations don't get any easier.

At 6:30, I went over and got my bib and d-tag, then returned home and got Norah and Jerry up. I left Norah in her Turkey Day PJs, fed her and then loaded her into the stroller and we all headed over to the race. Jerry hung out with Norah and Scooter, and I went to the start. This race gets more and more popular each year, and this year, I think there were well over 2,000 participants.

With that many people on a 5K course, there was the usual congestion and dodging of small children, but I had no time goal this morning. I knew I wouldn't come close to a PR of any kind, so I just took it easy and ran at a comfortable pace. Since I've been sick most of the week, this was my first run all week, and it felt good. I finished in 32:07, which is actually not a PW (personal worst) for me: The first year I race this race, back in 2005, I ran it in 33:00, so even now when I'm slow, I'm not as slow as I started out when I first began running.

At the finish, Jerry, Norah and Scooter were waiting to see me, and it was fun to have them there once again. Here are Norah and I (and Scooter is there sniffing at something in the bottom corner) after the race; and yes, it's ironic to have a snowman banner behind me with palm trees behind it. I'm sure there are some Floridians who have never even seen snow, let alone a snowman. All in all, the race was a great way to kick off the holiday, as always.

4 Years

Happy anniversary Jer-Bear! Love you.

Sicky Sickerson

Norah came down with a cold over the weekend. We noticed that she seemed a bit congested before she went to bed on Saturday, and by Sunday morning, she had a clear case of Booger Baby. She clearly didn't feel good on Sunday and Monday, but her only distinct symptom was nasal congestion, so we have been doing what we can in terms of clearing her nose out *she HATES the aspirator* and making sure she gets plenty of rest and plenty to eat (a plugged nose doesn't seem to hinder her appetite so that's good).

So, then yesterday, I noticed I had what felt like a dry throat, but obviously, it was the start of my own cold. Thus, I woke up last night to my own running nose, and this morning, feel congested and ucky. Thankfully, there's no fever, so the ick seems to be concentrated in just my head, which is more manageable.

But I still didn't run this morning. Instead, I opted to take a Tylenol Cold and spend the extra time in bed with Kleenex shoved up my nose.

**On the strange side, I dreamt that Norah didn't have a cold; instead, in my dream, she had been teething. So, in the dream, I went into her room and she smiled up at me with 8 teeth! (Yes, I counted them in my dream.) So this morning, when I checked on her, I just had to feel her gums. No teeth. Phew!

A Runner's Risk

It seems that within the past week, I have heard -- from several different people -- how running poses such a huge risk. No, they weren't talking about ruining one's knees or having a heart attack while running; they were talking about assault.

And, it does seem true that on the news, runners (especially women) are the victims of violent assault or rape. The stories are often frightening enough to prevent some people from engaging in the sport. Because I'm a runner, and a woman, who often runs in the dark, well-meaning friends and family are often warning me about engaging in such a dangerous activity. Generally, I am appreciative that everyone cares for me in this way, but in the end, I am dismissive of their worries.

Don't get me wrong, I don't run in areas I'm unfamiliar with and I don't run through poorly lit neighborhoods. But while I take such elementary precautions, I also simply trust that when I go out the door, I'll be fine. And that's because I have to. If I started worrying about all the risks I am undertaking by going out for a run, I'd never step out the door.

This idea of a runner's level of risk has been stewing within my brain for a few days, and I wanted to check some statistics about it, and here's what some very basic research has revealed: I can't find an actual statistic that reports a runner's risk for assault (if you can find one, thanks, go ahead and post it in the comments), but I can find statistics for a runner's risk of skin cancer (which is pretty high since only 50% of us reported using sun block on a regular basis); I also learned that while a runner has a low risk of being hit by a car, he or she has a pretty high risk of dying in a car accident in which he or she is either a passenger or a driver; I also learned that while 1 in 78,000 runners do risk having a heart attack during an endurance race, engaging in intense physical exercise, like running, reduced a person's chance of a heart attack by 50%. I also learned that while the number of cases of assault and rape are higher now than they were 50 years ago, statistically, violent crime has remained static. But if you are a victim of assault or rape, your chances of your assailant being someone you know are 84%.

So, is the runner's risk of being assaulted like the elusive urban myth of razor blades in Halloween candy? ("Time" just had an article about parenting fears and the magazine reported that there has never been a recorded report of poisoned or tainted Halloween candy. Never-ever. Oh, and a child's risk of being kidnapped is 1 in 1.5 million; whereas, a child's chances of being killed in a car accident are 1 in 6,668.) I'm not sure. Certainly violent crime with runners as victims does exist, but we run risks by doing nearly everything. Even remaining inactive by staying inside and sitting on a safe couch gives us the fairly high risk of becoming obese and dying of heart disease or diabetes.

So, in the end, certainly it's wise to take head of basic safety precautions (we all wear seat belts, right?), but as is the case with most fears: We can't let them imprison us.

Saturday Morning 8 Miler

This morning, I got up at 4 am in order to be out the door by 4:45 (my previous 30 minute pre-run routine now takes me close to 45 minutes -- I'm getting slower!) for my planned 8 miler. I wanted to be back before Norah got up, and she generally wakes up somewhere between 6 and 6:30, so I had a tight window of time to work with.

The run went well -- it was nice and cool out in the dark of pre-dawn -- with the exception of the fact that I again forgot water (and this time, I even set a water bottle out on the kitchen counter so I'd remember and I still forgot it!). I finished it in 1:25:27, for an average pace of 10:48/mile, and I was back inside the house by 6:15. Just in time to hear Norah grunting and moving around in her crib. Granted, I didn't have time to shower before tending to her, which means she got a sweaty boob, but she didn't seem to mind.

This afternoon I am off to see New Moon with the chicas, so I'd best be off! Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

Jibber-Jabber

Thanks for the advice/comments about the clogged milk duct; it's good to know you guys are so invested in my boob's health!

And BTW, it cleared up just fine. I was kinda hoping there would be some kind of satisfying feeling like when you plunge a toilet and you hear that "thwop!" and then the water just drains away; instead, the pain and swelling decreased overnight, and then this morning as Norah was nursing, it just suddenly felt completely normal again. So, its un-clogging was rather anti-climatic.

So, with normal feeling boobs again, I think I will get a short run in this evening when I get home from work, and then tomorrow morning, I would like to do something long-ish. I was thinking 8-9 miles, but we'll see what the morning holds.

Also, I registered today for the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving! I can't wait. I seriously love this race, and this will be my 5th year running it!

In general, I am SO looking forward to next week: Short work week, Jerry and I's anniversary on Wednesday, Turkey Trot and Thanksgiving on Thursday, and then on Friday, we plan to decorate the house for Christmas! Ack! So much to look forward to!

Dr Apts, Flu Shots and Clogged Boobs

I like this picture. It seems as if she's thinking, "Seriously, Mom? Seriously?" Norah had her 3 month check up today and here are her stats:

Height: 24 inches (so she grew another inch)
Weight: 13 lbs 2 oz (so she gained about a pound and a half)

Both her height and weight are just slightly above average (both were 60th percentiles of some kind -- I don't remember exact numbers, percentiles don't mean much to me). In general, she continues to be a healthy girl, and is on track for her developmental milestones. So, really, there wasn't much to report from the doctor visit, which is good. She got two more vaccines, so two more shots that I couldn't bear to watch, but she just cried for a moment, and was a real trooper about them.

After her doctor appointment, Jerry and I had appointments to get our flu shots. I've never had a flu shot before, but it's recommended if you have a child under 6 months (since they can't get one), so I bit the bullet and took the needle in the arm. It wasn't so bad.

So it was a busy morning before dropping her off at DC and heading to work.

On the running front, I didn't run this morning even though I had originally intended to. I woke up with what I believe is a clogged milk duct, so I have a painful lump in my left breast, and I figured that running would probably aggravate that. I'm treating the clogged duct as best as I know how from what I've read (basically two principles: apply heat and pump or feed as often as possible), so I hope it un-clogs soon enough. It hurts.

Run, Run Wednesday

I got up early this morning for my run, and I feel like I've been "running" ever since -- phew another busy day! It broke down like so:

• Got up at 4:45 and went through my normal pre-run routine and then headed out the door at 5:20 for my run.
• Ran my 3 miles in 31:45, which has got to be one of my faster morning runs to date.
• Showered.
• Fed Norah.
• Played with Norah.
• Got her dressed; then she, Scooter and I went for our morning walk.
• Graded papers while she played in her activity gym.
• Then, you can pretty much recycle the following activities throughout the morning: feed Norah, change Norah, play with her.
• She took a (too) brief nap, and while she slept, I read more papers.
• Before we left, Scooter threw up on the bed. Again. He did this on Sunday as well, and I don't know if something is the matter with him or what, but I was a bit peeved with both his timing and his target because with just 15 minutes before I had intended to walk out the door, I had to strip the bed's sheets and start laundry.
• Drop Norah off at daycare.
• Go to school.
• Grade papers during my office hour.
• Teach class.
• Grade a few last papers in my office.
• On my way home: Stop to get gas, stop at ATM, stop at cleaners.
• Get home: Put Norah to bed, make dinner, empty dishwasher, continue laundry cycle that I started before leaving for work and which Jerry had picked up when he got home, take out recycling, play with Scooter, eat dinner.
• Finished laundry and made bed with puke-free sheets.
• Now, it's 7:38 and I am finally sitting down to a moment to myself.

The plan for the rest of the evening? I think at 8, I am gonna crack open a much-needed beer and veg out in front of the TV: I could use the light humor of a mindless barrage of sitcoms.

Requests for Scooter Pic Fulfilled

Some of you have been asking about Scooter and have requested pics of Scooter, as you feel that he has been neglected here on the blog since Norah's arrival. Don't worry, you're not alone. Scooter also feels he has been unjustifiably neglected.

Scooter is nothing but curious about Norah herself, and he's hugely tolerant of her attempts to reach out and pet him, which mostly means she jabs at his general direction; however, he is extremely jealous of the attention Jerry and I pay her. Keep in mind that we play with Scooter just as much, if not more, as we did before Norah joined our family, but he just can't help himself: He was numero uno before she intruded on that. Thankfully, his jealousy just translates into neediness, not aggression.

We keep assuring him that with time, he's gonna love having her around -- especially once she's big enough to eat, and drop, solid food. My guess is that he will be her constant companion then. Plus, we're hoping that one day when she's older and she's big enough for us to convert her crib to a toddler bed, he'll move in there to sleep with her. For now, he remains with Jerry and I, and of the 3 of us, he's usually the last to rise in the morning: This look seems to say, "What the heck are you people doing up?"

Monday Morning Run

This morning at 5:30, it was only 58 degrees here, which for me makes for a brisk start for my run, but don't get me wrong: I think 58 is a perfect temp to run in -- cool enough that the air feels comfortable, but warm enough that I can still go out in shorts and sports bra. So, with a cool temp and fresh legs, my run felt really good this morning despite the fact that it was not fast (the 3 miles took me 33 minutes), and I have to admit that I'm kinda liking the early AM run these days.

Granted, it's still tough as hell to be motivated at that ungodly hour, but running through the darkened neighborhood so early in the morning carries a strange sense of satisfaction with it: With so little traffic and virtually no other pedestrians out, it feels like I'm the only person awake then. Plus, I usually have enough time when I get home to shower and have a quick breakfast before Norah wakes up, so it helps to know that the run is entirely "my" time and it doesn't intrude on my family at all.

Of course, I can wax poetic about morning running right now, when it's done for the day, but if you ask me tomorrow morning at 4:50 how much I like it, I might tell you to shove something up your ass.

KBLHR 10K Race Report

Pre-Race
I got up at 5:15 and got myself ready, then I got Norah up and got her ready, and she, Jerry and I left the house around 6 am. Key Biscayne is a small island in Miami's Biscayne Bay, so it's about an hour's drive from our house. We got there a little after 7, and while Jerry tended to Norah, I went and got my race bib and timing chip, and went about the few pre-race standards, like lining up for the bathroom.

But, because Norah was along, there was one other pre-race necessity: Feed her. So, back in the car, I nursed her, and our timing was perfect: She ate and gave me about 10 minutes to spare before the race start. Here she is pre-race (bundled up because it was a "chilly" 60 degrees out -- one lady congratulated us on bringing the baby out and "braving the cold"): And here she and I are together pre-race; she's still in her jammies:

Race
The 5K and 10K started simultaneously at 7:45, which means that for the first mile, there was the usual congestive nonsense that seems to go hand-in-hand with a 5K: Children, walkers, and those unfamiliar with race ettiquette. But, a little past the conclusion of the first mile, the 10K course and 5K course split off from one another, and the crowd thinned out considerably.

Key Biscayne is mostly a state park, but it also consists of Key Biscayne Village, which is the residential half of the island and that consists of large, multi-million dollar mansions. So, the course wound out of the park and through these neighborhoods, so I was busy oggling the beautiful homes and their picturesque landscaping.

While it had been cool at the race's start, it quickly warmed to a comfortable 70 degrees, and it was sunny, clear, and there was a light breeze. Perfect running weather. So, I just ran at what was a comfortable pace, and enjoyed the views and the weather. The end of the race brought us back into the state park, and we ran the last mile along the ocean, so there were some scenic views there as well.

As I passed the 6 mile marker, the finish line came into sight, and soon thereafter I saw Jerry and Norah. Jerry was waving and holding Norah, who was smiling at every racer who went by her. Really, having them both there at the finish was one of the best feelings ever!

I crossed the finish line in 1:05:20. 20 seconds slower than I would have liked, but I honestly didn't mind. I ran a pretty consistent 10:25 pace, and if I hadn't done so much swerving in that first mile, I probably would have nailed that 1:05 goal.

Post-Race

Yes, I grabbed a beer.

But, I didn't end up drinking too much of it. I guess beer at 9 am is just not for me. Who knew? So, I passed on the unfinished beer to Jerry and drank a water instead.

Afterward, I tended to those typical post-race needs (bathrooms, ditch the shoes, change shirts, etc) and by then, Norah had conked out. Jerry reported that she seemed to enjoy the whole race atmosphere and that she'd been busy watching all the people and smiling at all those who stopped to tell her how cute she was. They also took some time to go down to the beach so Jerry could dip her toes into the Atlantic, so she was pretty tired by the time we were ready to head out.

She slept in the car on the way home, and we decided to stop at Denny's for a big breakfast. She smiled at all the old people in Denny's while Jerry and I gorged on our Grand Slams, and then we all headed home.

All in all, it was a fun, scenic race for my first race back, and it was a great morning with my family!

Cool Weather and Goals for Tomorrow's 10K

The past few days have blown in some cool, comfortable weather for us here in South Florida, and this morning, it was cool enough to warrant a sweatshirt for Norah when we went on our morning walk with Scooter: This cool weather bodes well for my potential 10K performance tomorrow, so I hope it stays.

And, this brings me to my Declaration of Race Intentions for the Key Biscayne Lighthouse 10K, which shall also be known as Jess' First Race Post Partum!

• Pie in the Sky Goal: Beat my previous 10K PR. This is really unlikely to happen. Even though my previous PR of 1:01:25 is not anything fabulous, it would still require me to run a 9:52/mile pace, and based on my recent training runs, that's probably not gonna happen. However, you never know. Cool conditions combined with race day excitement could provide me with the right environment and motivation to push myself beyond my current comfort zone.
• Realistic Goal: Finish in 1:05. This would be a 10:27/mile pace, and that's about what I've been able to run lately. If I finished with this time, I'd be very pleased.
• Worst Case Scenario Goal: Finish the race before the time cut off of 1:20. The race directions are very clear: Anyone who finishes after this time is disqualified and will be taken out back and pistol whipped. Well...maybe not that last part, but the instructions are so emphatic about the course closing at an hour twenty that you'd think pistol whipping really would be on race directors' minds. A 1:20 finish is a 12:51/mile pace, so I think I can be consistently faster than that, but with such restrictions, walk breaks won't be an option.

So, with goals in mind and race apparel already set out, I think I'm ready for tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Thursday's This and That

Yesterday was nice to have off. I got my hairs cut: Decided to keep it shoulder length so I could still pull it back in a pony tail, but the stylist cut off about 4 inches, so it feels fresh and a bit more stylish now.

I also got a start on some of my Christmas shopping, and while I did shop for myself as well, I found nothing. I wanted to buy some new clothes (since the last new clothes I bought for myself were maternity clothes!), but I couldn't find anything I liked or that really worked. Shopping at this time of year in FL kinda sucks because everything in the stores in winter-oriented, and while I'd love to buy a heap of cuddly sweaters, when am I gonna wear 'em?

Anyway, it was nice to have the afternoon to myself yesterday.

Today it's back to the "grind," and I was up again at dawn for another AM 3 miler, and it was actually pleasantly cool out this morning, so the run was nice, and I got it done in 31:23 -- a bit faster than normal.

The day off in the middle of week is kinda nice because it breaks up the week, but it's also kinda weird because I don't feel as though I should be returning to work today.

Veteran's Day Vacation

I have the day off today, but I still got up at dawn for an early AM 3 miler. The weather felt comfortable this morning, and it was a nice run; I got it done in 32:53.

As for the rest of my day, I plan on taking Norah to daycare this afternoon so I can go get my hair cut and run a few errands. Initially, I had planned on staying home with her all day, but then I figured: We pay for daycare whether she goes or not so I might as well take advantage of the child care for a few hours! I'm looking forward to the few hours to myself, and it's gonna be a luxury to do some shopping without an infant in tow.

Three Months

Today, Norah is 3 months old!

She continues to be a sweet, easy-going girl who sleeps solidly, eats well, and smiles a lot!

And, she's growing stronger and getting more active all the time. She still hates tummy time, but she has a strong neck so she's able to hold herself up off the floor pretty well. She also can sit well when she's propped up or in her Bumbo chair, and I think she likes this new perspective. She also grabs at objects, especially at all of her "friends" in her activity gym and she pulls them toward her -- specifically, she wants to put them in her mouth. In fact, one of her major changes in the past month is the increase in drool and her desire to stuff her whole fist in her mouth. The downside to the grabbing is that now she inadvertently grabs my hair and yanks on it, and I think I will soon have to watch what jewelry I wear.

Of course, the biggest thing in this month was my start back to work and her start at daycare, and even though the transition was hard for me, she adjusted effortlessly. And now that we've had a few weeks of this new schedule, I think it's going smoothly.

Last parental thought: Even though I delight in each new milestone, and I love seeing her personality continue to emerge, I already feel as though the time is going too fast. It gives my heart a little pang to know that she's no longer that small, inert bundle that we brought home from the hospital 3 months ago. I love seeing her grow and develop and discover new aspects to her world, but at the same time, it's tough because I know that each step forward for her means a step away from me.

And typing that business in the paragraph above (and then taking a minute to cry about it) makes me realize how much I've changed in these 3 months. Granted, I knew, in theory, that parenthood would change me, but I really had no idea how substantial that change would be.

Seven Mile Sunday

This morning's 7 miler didn't go that great. First of all, I forgot to hit "start" on the Garmin, and I didn't notice until I was over a mile into the run; then, I didn't bring water with me because I was counting on drinking from a water fountain that's located in the park I run through, but when I got there, I discovered that the water fountain had been torn out. So, no water at all for 7 miles, and it was pretty warm out there. By the end, I was VERY thirsty.

But however sucky the run was, I still got it done, and when I got home, I showered and got to snuggle my "Bug," who was in a smiley, happy mood. Plus, Jerry actually dressed her in clothes this morning!

Christmas Wishlist

I don't have class on Fridays; instead, I have office hours which are supposed to be my designated time to "get papers graded," but today has been time to "surf the internet for running stuff."

In my defense, this is almost a requirement at this point since I have my mom, Jerry's mom, and Jerry all hounding me for a Christmas list, and so far, I have zilch for that list. And "diapers" were rejected from "my" list.

So, I figured that I always need/want running stuff, but I need a little help: I can't quite remember the cool things you guys are always mentioning that I covet. So, this is the list I have going so far and I need help adding to it. Tell me one of your favorite running items so I can go see if I need to make that one of my favorites as well. Keep in mind I don't need winter-running gear/apparel, but otherwise, I could use a variety of running-related gifts, so what would you add to the follow list?

1. Shoes (I just bought a new pair, but it just makes good, economical sense to get your mom to buy you one pair each year)
2. Handheld water bottle
3. Compression socks (where in the heck did those of you who have these in pink find them?)
4. Socks

And...that's as far as I got.

I don't really need more shorts and sports bras, so they're not on here for a reason. Any more of those, and I will need to put another dresser on my x-mas list too!

The Best Part of Morning Running

Even though it was only 71 degrees out at 5:30 this morning, the humidity was at a whopping 98% (it rained most of the night last night), so my 3 miler felt as though I was treading water instead of running. And by the end, I was sweat drenched and may as well have been swimming.

But aside from the high humidity, it was a good run, and I have to say that while most people tout morning running's greatest aspect as getting it done first thing in the day, I would have to say that the best part of morning running is the attitude of superiority that I get to adopt because I get it done first thing in the day.

See, if you and I were to be in the middle of a casual conversation, I could ask you: "What were you doing this morning at 5:30 AM?" And you would be like, "Sleeping." And my snotty, self-satisfied remark could take many shapes but would probably be something close to this: "Huh. Well that sounds like a waste of time. I was up and out on the streets running. I guess I just take my health more seriously."

Now, if only I could arrange opportunites for conversations to open up to the above possibility. Otherwise, my superiority at having risen early and ran before sunrise is for not. I mean, if I can't brag about it, what good is it?

Good Enough

This morning was my first run in almost a week.

I hadn't run since last Thursday, that crappy run I had before I was struck down by the God of Vomit and Mud Butt, and to be honest, I really wasn't in the mood to run this morning, but I figured I needed to get back to it. So I got up at 5 am and ran 2 miles. Usually I don't run anything shorter than 3 miles, but like I said, I really was in no mood, so I figured 2 miles were "good enough."

As expected, those 2 miles were a little slow (and it didn't help that it is 91% humidity out there right now), but they did feel good toward the end, and ultimately, they served their purpose for simply getting me out there.

But, I hear Norah grunting and stirring now, so I'd best be off to tend to the babe. Enjoy your hump day, everyone!

Post #1500

That's right, this is post #1500.

Knowing that this number was approaching, I was wracking my brain trying to come up with some kind of special way to celebrate the number, but really, I'll be honest: I feel as though I've done it all before. So, post #1500, you are duly noted, but sorry, no special look back at favorite posts, no pictorial of the past years, no giveaway offers to my loyal readers. Today, you're just one of 1,449 other posts in which I have yammered on about this and that.

So, here's the "this and that":

I didn't run this morning for two reasons: One, I felt I needed one more day's worth of recovery after being sick before expending the energy on running. Seriously, that was one nasty sickness I had, and it lasted a full 48 hours, so I think a full 48 hour recovery is wise. My second reason for not running this morning was that I guessed that the time change was gonna mess with Norah's sleep schedule and I was right. She was up at 6 am instead of 7. Getting her sleep re-aligned with the time change is gonna be a bitch this week. Any tips from other parents?

And, because I know you love some good Norah pics, here she is in her Godzilla onesie that Jerry bought her when she was a mere fetus: And, I think it inspired her to "Rahhhr" like Godzilla too, so here she is doing her best Godzilla impression:

Be afraid, tiny people. Be afraid.

Norah's 1st Halloween

Even though I felt like ass yesterday, I still mustered up some energy in the late afternoon to participate in Norah's 1st Halloween. She got dressed up, we carved a pumpkin, and we got candy ready for trick or treaters that we never get.

So, without further ado, here she is in full hot dog regalia:She looks pretty squished in there when I'm holding her:

She tolerates Jerry and I pretty well:

Lastly, here she is next to "her" pumpkin; she did an excellent carving job for one so wee, don't you think?

I'm feeling much better today. Still not 100%, but way better than yesterday and the day before. I'm hoping that with another day's recuperation, I'll be back to full functioning capacity by tomorrow. Just in time to enjoy...work.

Still Sick

Even though I thought I was feeling better yesterday afternoon, I spoke too soon. The puking and diarrhea resumed and continued through another rough night, so by this morning, I felt completely wiped out. At this point, I'm really not sure what I have, but actually hope it is food poisoning because I do NOT want to pass this along to either Norah or Jerry.

Unfortunately, this means we cancelled our Halloween party plans, and right now I'm just focusing on trying to hydrate and keep both food and liquids in me. So far, I have had some luck this morning with saltines, a banana, and some diluted Gatorade; cross your fingers it all stays down.

Hope everyone else enjoys a fun-filled Halloween!

Flu Friday

My case of "drag ass" yesterday turned out to actually be a stomach flu. I felt worse and worse as the day progressed, and by the time I went to bed last night I had a fever and was nauseous.

The barfing started around 1 am and continued through the night and early morning; then the 'rhea kicked in and I didn't know which end to put on the toilet. It was awful.

All day today, I have essentially been a pile of dehydrated goo, unable to keep anything down until late this afternoon. Thankfully, Jerry took the day off work so he could take care of Norah this morning, and this afternoon, he took her to DC.

I don't think I've been sick like this in years. Ughhhh...

Hopefully I feel better tomorrow for Halloween festivities. Which I think I will. I'm able to keep down Ramen and Ginger Ale now. Woo-hoo!

A Case of Drag Ass

Everything about my run this morning indicates that I am suffering from a confirmed case of "Drag Ass." It's a real affliction. I swear. In fact, the Physician's Desk Reference has an entry for it:

A mental and physical inability to respond to necessity or demand. Those suffering from this condition may feel as though they are moving in slow motion, and despite being aware of their limited mobility and muted mental acuity, they are unable to improve upon either. Frequent sufferers of this condition include college students, those in their mid-20s who are often recovering from "last night at the bar," and those who are new parents.

See? It's real. And you can't prove otherwise.

Tuesday's Total Body in Ten

I got this video back in, oh, January or so, and I never even so much as ripped off the cellophane because...I was pregnant? Is that an excuse? Not really. But either way, I had never even opened this DVD before this morning; instead, it was just sitting on the shelf gathering dust for nearly 10 months.

Today is a running rest day, but this morning, Norah took an unusually long morning nap. So, after taking care of the necessary tasks (ie, reading blogs), I decided I had 10 minutes to spare to test out this video.

It has 4 10 minute segments, and each focuses on a different fitness aspect: cardio, upper body, lower body, and balance/flexibility. The DVD is set up so you could combine all 4 workouts into one 40 minute session, or you can break them up and just do the 10 minute segments.

Unsure of how long Norah would nap for, and not being particularly fond of workout videos to begin with, I opted to just stick with a 10 minute segment: upper body.

My upper body is seriously lacking in strength, and my little t-rex arms are only capable of the kind of hoisting and toting that is required to carry a baby around, so I figured this area is ripe for improvement.

The 10 minute workout had me doing everything from bicep curls to push ups in order to work the arms, chest and upper back, and even though it was only 10 minutes, I was spent afterward, and I can already tell that the arms are gonna be sore tomorrow. Personally, I thought it was a good mini-workout and perfect for a person like me who isn't that fond of strength training: 10 minutes was enough time to make me feel as though I worked some muscles but not too long so that I was bored with it.

Granted, the woman who leads the exercises has the disconcerting duplicity of porn star nails mixed with man arms, but the exercises themselves were good, and overall, I liked the program. Next time, I guess I'll have to test out one of the other 4 sections.

I'll probably get around to that sometime in mid-2010.

Monday Morning Q & A

Just as when I was pregnant and running, I am receiving lots of questions via your comments and email about now when I am breastfeeding and running, so I felt I should address some of these thoughts and questions. Apologies to the male readers if this has no appeal to you. However, it does involve the talk of "boobs," so maybe you do want to stick around.

Does running with nursing boobs hurt? Do you wear a special nursing sports bra?
I imagine it would hurt within the first week or two of breastfeeding, when the boobs get engorged and the nipples are sore, but I wasn't running then, so I can't comment on that. I began running again at 5 weeks post partum and by then, my breasts and nipples were used to the feeding, so I have never experienced any pain by running and continuing to breastfeed.

But, I do always pump beforehand, or if I run later in the day, I try to time the run right after Norah has fed, so that either way, I don't have full breasts when I set out for a run.

I do not use a special nursing sports bra. I wear my regular sports bras and they seem to work just fine, but there are special ones out there, and some doctors even advise women to double up on sports bras (I find this latter advice a little out-dated, but whatever works). I think the sports bra you choose would be partially dependent on your bra needs to begin with; the logic is simple: If you have especially large sweater bunnies to begin with, nursing is only gonna make 'em bigger, so keep that in mind.

How much do you eat and drink?
Personally, I have never been a calorie counter, so I can't say with any accuracy how many calories I consume a day, but it's probably a lot. Most literature advises breastfeeding moms to continue to eat as though they are pregnant since the extra calories are needed for milk production. Add to that the calories you expend during exercise, and a breastfeeding woman who is exercising probably needs at least 500-600 extra calories a day. But that's just a guess, and calorie needs would be dependent on how much/how far you're running, and to what extent your infant's needs are for breastmilk.

As far as drinking, basically the same prinicple as eating applies: You need a lot of fluid to produce milk; plus, you need additional fluids to replace those you sweat out. So, to be simple: Drink a lot of water. I drink about 100 oz of water a day. Plus, I have two cups of coffee in the morning, a glass or two of milk a day, and sometimes the occassional diet Sprite (oh, and the occassional beer -- you can have one drink and it won't affect your milk). My advice? Have a bottle of water on hand at all times and sip all day long. Just like any athlete thould do -- drink ahead of your thirst.

You're breastfeeding and running, you must be back to your pre-preggo weight already!
Nope. I'm not. I have about 4 lbs left to lose.

Despite the fact that I'm burning lots of calories with both breastfeeding and running, I am also consuming a lot. Many of you have probably trained for a marathon and gained weight, right? So you know that simply exercising is only one part of weight loss. But, I'm not particularly concerned with losing the remaining 4 lbs; I know it will happen gradually and I'm not in a hurry. My biggest concern is making sure I remain healthy and that my body has enough energy and calories to continue to produce milk, so if I hang onto a few extra pounds for awhile, it's okay.

Doesn't exercising while breastfeeding make your milk "sour"?
Nonsense. There have been lots of studies on this and the scientific conclusion is that ideas such as that one are hooey.

Any advice for a mom who is breastfeeding and thinking of returning to running?
I am no expert, and can only speak from personal experience, but I would say that my advice would be the same as anyone beginning to run: Eat plenty, hydrate, and get plenty of sleep. The last is probably most often overlooked by new mothers, but it is probably one of the biggest things for me. I need my Zzzzzzs. And, I'm lucky because for the past 3 weeks or so, Norah has been sleeping from about 7 pm to 7 am, so I can ensure that I get my full 8 hours a night by going to bed around 8:30 or 9 if I get up and run at 5 am. And truthfully, even on the days when I don't run, I allow myself to sleep until she wakes up around 7, so there are some nights when I too get about 10-11 hours of sleep. And trust me, I need it!

I know there are other breastfeeding, running moms who read this blog, or those who may not presently be doing this, but have done so in the past, so feel free to add to these comments and/or questions!

Sunday Six

This morning, I ran a 6 miler at a pretty consistent pace:

1: 10:28
2: 10:21
3: 10:26
4: 10:33
5: 10:33
6: 10:21

Total Time: 1:02:45

So, I was pleased. And I felt that I justly deserved a McGriddle from McDonald's. Normally, I almost never eat fast food, but for some reason, the McGriddle was calling to me today (and it doesn't help that I passed McDonald's twice on my route), and because the Garmin told me that I burned 800 calories on my run, I felt I deserved the 500 calorie breakfast sandwich. It was delicious.

Lastly, as a funny domestic aside: This morning, when I left for my run, I left Norah in Jerry's care and she was still in her PJs and I told him that he could decide what she was wearing for the day. When I got back, she was just in a diaper. Nothing else.

So, I guess to Jerry, "clothes" = a diaper. I suppose next time I should be a little more specific with my instructions ;)

Racing Thoughts

This morning, when I started my 3 miler, there was a middle aged man who was running about two tenths of a mile ahead of me, and I judged him to be slightly slower than me, so I made it my goal to pass him. This was a little harder than I had orignally assessed. Either he was faster than he looked, or I was slower than I assumed, because I spent the first half a mile chasing him down.

Then, when I finally did pass him, he was close enough behind me that I couldn't slow up, so he actually provided me with the necessary motivation and momentum to finish my first mile in 10:20. The speed (yes, it's all relative, and right now that kind of pace counts as speedy for me) carried through in the remaining two miles, and I finished the 3 in 31:14, which I do believe is the fastest 3 miler I've had since returning to running.

And this is why I miss racing: Having other people in my sights to slowly pick off and pass provides just the right amount of motivation to push myself past my comfort zone. Granted, my targets are often the elderly and small children, but still, the satisfaction of passing a ten year old is priceless for the ego. And those old people can be surprisingly fast, so sometimes overcoming them can be a feat in and of itself.

4 Mile Thursday

Day 2 of daycare went much better yesterday, no tears, and I think each day will get progressively easier. It helps to get the feedback that we do from the daycare providers that informs us of when she ate, slept, was diapered, etc, as well as comments about what she did during her time there (apparently, she really loves sitting in one of the bouncy chairs -- she likes to kick her legs and make it bounce), so we know that she's doing just dandy.

Today is my first day of actual class, and admittedly, it's gonna be weird stepping back inside the classroom after nearly 5 months off, but I'm looking forward to it. I really enjoy my job and the beginning of a term is always the most fun. I think that if my work were merely a paycheck to me, I would have chosen to stay at home full time, but because it's work that provides me with meaning and satisfaction, I feel more confident in my return. Plus, I am fortunate to have a job where I can work full time, but that enables us to have Norah is DC only part time.

But enough about my return to work and Norah's start of daycare; I feel it's all I have discussed this week. So, back to the running:

Yesterday, I took a rest day, which was nice, so this morning, I felt pretty fresh for my early AM run. I did a 4 miler in 43:40, so it wasn't speedy, but it felt good. It had rained at some point during the night; thus, the early morning air was incredibly humid, which made for a lot of Jess sweatiness, but the air temp wasn't too hot yet, so the overall effect wasn't that bad. Still, I pine for the weather we had on Sunday.

Back to Work and Daycare Report

Yesterday morning, I was pretty good all morning as I anticipated work and daycare; truthfully, I was busy with our normal household stuff, so I wasn't thinking about it too much. Then, as we were driving there, I could feel my heart pounding and my throat constricting, but I held it together.

When I got there, I was suprised to find that Jerry had walked down from his office to join me there. He figured it was gonna be tough for me, so he wanted to be there. I really appreciated such thoughtfulness, and it certainly was nice to have him there.

I got her daily stuff unpacked and put away while her teacher was holding her, and as I was giving some feeding instructions, I started to choke up, and it was downhill from there. I cried through my "goodbye" and cried as we walked out, and I was very grateful Jerry was there to help soothe me. I got in the car and cried pretty much until I got to work, and then I was able to compose myself and remain cry-free while I worked.

As far as working, it was kinda weird being back. In a way, it was nice: I'm dressed in regular clothes (not running shorts or sweatpants), I'm doing stuff that requires more thought and skill than what goes into changing a diaper, I'm socializing with my colleagues, and I have all this freedom -- if I need to walk across campus to the library, I just walk out my office and do it; no baby, stroller, diaper bag, etc! But on the other hand, I've gotten pretty used to being at home, so being back at work was a bit disconcerting, as if I had forgotten how to do some things (like all of sudden, I have to remember my code for the copier).

And the whole time, I was thinking of Norah, wondering how she was, missing her. And it didn't help that everyone was asking me, "How's the baby?" and I would tell them she's good, and "Today's her first day at daycare" and they'd reply with, "Ohhhh, how are you doing?" Each time, I managed to control my voice as I croaked out, "Okay."

Jerry checked on her once and then called to report that she was doing fine, so that was good. And it certainly is a comfort to know he's close by.

At the end of the day, I came home and Scooter greeted me at the door, Jerry was in the kitchen starting dinner and Norah was in the living room playing happily in her activity gym. And admittedly, it was kinda nice being on that end of our domesticity. Jerry reported that daycare had gone well with her, and everything went smoothly. Of course, when I picked her up and cuddled her, I cried again -- a mixture of relief and joy.

So, all in all, everything was fine (as I knew, logically, it would be). But...I woke up this morning thinking, "I have to do that all over again today?" So, I'm sure all week will be emotionally challenging, and getting into a new routine will certainly take some getting used to, but I'm sure that each day will get easier, and soon we'll be old hats at this.

First Day of Daycare

This morning, I was up and awake for a 5 am 3 miler, but apparently, the Garmin was not. It kept losing its signal, so I have no digits for the run. But I swear I did it.

But, onto what's really on my mind today: D-day. My first day back at work and Norah's first day at daycare. Of course, I took a few pics of her to commemorate her big day, but this one is the closest I could get to a smiley pic: She looks like she's either stoned or has gas. It's hard taking pics of babies, or at least it is with my camera which has a few second delay from when you press the button to when it actually snaps a pic, so she could be bright eyed smiles one second, but by the time I get an actual picture, she looks like this:

Oh well. Maybe one day I'll splurge and get a fancy camera that actually takes the picture when I press the button.

Right now, I'm feeling surprisingly calm about the afternoon's drop off at daycare, but I'm sure the waterworks are waiting until after I drop her off. At least I know Jerry is close by and he has ensured me that he will stop in and check on her this afternoon. And afterall, she'll be at DC less than 4 full hours. She'll be fine.

Whether or not I will be okay is yet to be decided. Thankfully, today and tomorrow are just "duty days" (heh, I said "duty"), so I don't actually teach class, which is good because if I need to cry, I can do it in the privacy of my office and pretend I'm crying about hashing out my syllabus.

Doctor and Daycare

Despite my nervousness about this morning, things did go pretty well. Well...I did cry twice, but all things considered, that's not so bad. First things first:

Dr Apt
She checks in as a strong and healthy girl; here are her stats:

Weight: 11 lbs 9 oz
Height: 23 inches

So, she's doing her job: growing and gaining weight. Wish that were my job :)

In all other respects, she checks out healthy. The doctor was surprised to hear that she has been sleeping 11-12 hours a night, but he said that it's normal and healthy. She's just ahead of the curve a bit in that department.

She also got 3 shots today, and that's where my first crying spell came into play. Good thing Jerry can stand the shots, so he holds her while the nurse administers them and I stare at the wall. Still, hearing her cry made me cry, and frankly, I'm just a big wuss when it comes to my baby girl. Anyway, she's doing fine this afternoon after having the innoculations, and so far, she hasn't had any fever, crankiness, or fussiness due to them.

After the doctor, we headed over to daycare...

Daycare
Again, pretty good. Jerry and I unloaded all her stuff and got things squared away, then Jerry went to work (the daycare is at his work, so he just has to walk about 100 yards down the hall to his office), and Norah and I chilled with the other babies and the teachers.

Then, Jerry came back, and he and I went to security so I could get my daycare badge. His company requires that everyone who has access to the parking lots and the building have a security badge that opens gates and doors, so we had to go get mine. We left Norah in the care of her teacher, and we went to security. The process ended up taking way longer than we thought it would, so we were gone for about an hour. When we returned to the daycare, Norah was getting hungry and cranky, and while we had originally planned to go to lunch, I didn't want to leave her again for another hour.

This is where my second crying episode took place.

So, reasoning that it was just easier on everyone if we took her and left, I called it a day and went home.

Last Day of Leave

This morning, it's still beautifully cool out, but despite the cool air, I wasn't any faster than normal. I ran 3 miles in 33:37 for an average pace of 11:13/mile. Myabe it's the early hour; I just feel like I plod through these early morning runs. Oh well, at least they get done.

In other doings, today is my last day of maternity leave. I can't believe it's already over and that Norah is already 10 weeks old. It's gone by so quickly!

This morning, Norah has her 2 month check up, and then afterward, we are going to daycare to bring in our supplies, get her "area" all set up, and then Norah and I are gonna stay for a bit so I have the chance to interact more with her teachers and so that she can get used to being there (truthfully, the experience is entirely for me; they try to tell me that the practice day is in part for the baby, but let's be honest with ourselves, she's at an incredibly flexible age -- this test run is for me, not her). And then, I think Jerry and I are going to go to lunch and we'll leave Norah there for an hour so I can practice crying my eyes out for tomorrow's "real thing."

So, I really needed that 3 miler first thing this morning, slow or not, because I'm feeling pretty nervous about the test run at daycare today and I needed to have the run to start the day.

Cooler Temps

Last night, a "cold" front blew in and this morning it was a glorious 56 degrees outside, with only 42% humidity. PERFECT running weather! I didn't get out until almost 9 am, but it didn't matter, because it was still nice and cool; and with overcast skies, it really did feel like fall running.

I did 5 miles, and with the cooler temps, I was able to run a bit faster than I have been lately, and I finished the fiver in 52:20 with an average 10:28/mile pace. With such minimal humidity, I finished the run and felt as though I'd hardly sweat; it was awesome!

So, I didn't have to get up at the ass crack of dawn, but I still got it done early in the day; now, I can spend the rest of the day doing...well, nothing, I hope!

Running Routine

I know there are some people out there who can get out of bed, hop into their running clothes, and be out the door for an AM run within 10 minutes.

I am not one of those people.

For me, the AM run routine is about 30 minutes and the process is something like this:

1. Pump. No one wants to run with boobies full of milk. That would hurt. So, I first have to get up and treat myself to feeling like Elsie the cow.

2. Drink a cup of coffee. Whether it's 5 am or 10 am, I don't wake up until I've had a cup 'o joe. (And yes, you can still drink caffeine and breastfeed -- you just have to limit the amount of caffeine.)

3. Whilst I sip down my coffee, I read blogs for about 10 or 15 minutes. So, if you have comments on your blogs from me that are time stamped at o' dark thirty, then you understand what I'm doing.

4. Poop. A pre-run deuce is essential to me before a morning run; plus, afterward, I feel lighter and more athletic. And thankfully, I never have a problem with timing because of #2 on my list here (hee, hee, I made a pun).

5. Get dressed. Yes, finally we're at that stage. Getting dressed includes slipping on the running attire, but it also means pulling my hair back and applying Body Glide to the necessary spots.

6. Lastly, I snap on the iPod and affix the Garmin around my wrist: Then I'm ready to step out the door.

So, yes, this morning was another successful AM run with the above prep routine to ready me for it.

More Race Plans?

So, I have just barely begun to think of races for 2010, but I got an email today from Disney announcing their new race for 2010: The Wine and Dine Half Marathon! It's the first weekend in October and it's at night!

I guess it's replacing the Race for the Taste, which just held its final 10K last weekend, so I'm glad I ran the 10K last year.

Anyway, I'm not saying I will for sure register, but it has all the elements I love in a race: an HM, it's Disney, it's at night, it's in the fall, and...and...there's a two person relay option, so maybe I can convince the Jer-Bear to run it with me! (Anyone want to watch Norah that weekend?)

Back to Back

Last night, I went for a 3 miler at about 7 pm, and this morning, less than 12 hours later, I was back out there at 5 am for another 3 miler. So, here are my random observations about the differences and similarities between the two times:

• It is cooler in the morning, but it's more humid. So, I think the trade off makes the temp about the same.
• There's way less traffic at 5 am, so I really don't have to stop for lights, which is nice.
• There is some traffic at 5 am, and I always wonder if people are just heading out for work at that hour or just heading home from work.
• It is just as dark at 5 am as it is by 7:30 pm.
• I am not any faster at either hour.
• There are zero other pedestrians at 5 am.
• There are school buses out driving around at 5 am, which makes me wonder what kids need to be picked up at that hour.
• Neither McDonald's nor the gas station are open at 5 am, so if I ever have a bathroom emergency at that hour, I'm gonna have to squat behind a bush.
• I can eat dinner and go run an hour afterward in the evening, and I can drink a cup of coffee and eat a granola bar 20 minutes before a morning run, and I have no stomach issues. Thank you, sweet baby Jesus.
• Getting up and getting the run done at 5 am is nice because I know that it's done for the day and there's no worrying about how I'll fit it in or around the evening bath time/bedtime routine.
• Running at 7 pm is nice because it allows me to de-stress from the day, and after a day spent with a two month old, sometimes that alone time feels like magic.

3 Miler and Race Plans

Yesterday I failed at the early morning attempt to wake up and run, so last night, I ran 3 miles. It was hot, but otherwise uneventful. This morning was also a fail in the getting up department, so it looks like another evening run is in store for me tonight.

In other news, I've been contemplating a race calendar to fill out the end of 2009. I haven't raced a single race in this year so far, and I want to do something before the year is out. Of course, the problem this time of year is the plethora of races and my desire to do them all! So, I have selected two firm choices and one maybe. They are:

Key Biscayne Lighthouse 10K Saturday, November 14th
I've always wanted to do this 10K in part because it's one of the few 10Ks that's offered in the entire year that's close by. (The 10K seems to be an endangered species among road races.) This is also supposed to be a scenic run since the course is set within the Key Biscayne State Park.

Tamarac Turkey Trot 5K Thursday, November 26th
This is my favorite race of the year, mostly because the course goes right by my house, so I just have to walk out my door and down the block and I'm at the start line. It doesn't get any more convenient than that! Plus, everyone loves a turkey trot, don't they? There's no better feeling on Thanksgiving day when you're shoveling in your 4th serving of pumpkin pie and thinking it's okay because you ran a race that morning. (Never mind that a 5K will only burn about 300 calories!)

Weston Rotary Half Marathon Sunday, December 13th
This is my "maybe" race. I'm not sure if I can ready myself for an HM in 8 weeks, but this race has lots of advantages: the chance to run something longish before the year is out, it's cheap, it's close, and I am familiar with the course. My plan right now is to train toward it and hold off on registration until I complete a few longer distance runs. It's a small race so it won't fill up and even late registration is inexpensive.

So, that's my plan for the end of 2009, but I'm also looking ahead to the early months of 2010 as well since January, February and March are also chock full of races here in FL, and I think my plans will certainly include the Miami HM and the A1A HM, but beyond that, I haven't decided.

Swimming Sunday

Yesterday, while many of you were either running marathons in freezing temps, or just huddled inside to stay away from freezing temps, we went swimming. It's still record-breaking hot here (and is forecast to continue to be in the 90s this week), and yesterday morning seemed like a good day to go to the pool and chillax some.

Here's Norah in her swimsuit before we left the house. She looks stoked, right?

The pool was a comfortable temp, and she spent the time floating with both Jerry:And me:

Even though there are no smiles in the pics, I think she liked it. Or, even if she didn't, it wore her out and she took a long nap yesterday afternoon, which was nice.

The only bad thing about the pool experience was that as he was walking back, Jerry stepped in a hole and tore off a chunk of his foot. He was carrying Norah and managed not to drop her when he fell, but he really did hurt his foot and he's limping around today on it. I told him that he should have gouged a slightly bigger hole so that we could sue our HOA for some kind of negligence. Yes, when it comes to our HOA, I could quite easily be persuaded to be litigious. Even if I have to sacrifice Jerry's foot.