Day #365 and Beyond

The end of 2013 was a whirlwind for us: I had the end of the semester, we had celebrated Christmas, then we packed up and moved out of our condo and into the apartment the kids and I will be renting for the next 4 months, and we closed on the sale of our condo.  In the midst of all this, I did manage to keep up with the running and thus the streaking, and on December 31st, I ran my 365th consecutive day and therefore completed 1 year of streaking.

It felt great to reach that achievement, and I was pleased with my year in running:

1,288 miles
3 races (1 HM, 1 10K, 1 5K)
2 new PRs (10K, 5K)

I didn't race much, and I can't believe I missed a "round" mileage number (1,300) by 12 miles, but honestly, I was so sidetracked in November and December, I wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to my mileage; I was just concentrating on getting my runs in every day (consequently, those 2 months were my lowest mileage months: 98 and 90 miles respectively).

So, onto 2014:

I didn't stop streaking on Jan 1st; I kept streaking and plan to keep streaking.  What can I say?  I may be an addict now.  So, my plan for 2014 is pretty simple: Keep streaking.

I really am not planning any other running goals beyond that.  Jerry leaves this Saturday for NC and thus begins the 4 month experiment of me as a single parent: To keep the streak alive during those months will be a trial (but I think it can be managed), so to expect anything more in these initial months of the year seems like folly.

At the end of April, the kids and I will be moving to NC to join Jerry, and from there, I have no clue how the rest of my year will shape up -- in running, as well as in other ways, so again, I'm just hoping to keep streaking.

Maybe I'll race some this year, maybe I won't.  We'll see.  What I hope for is that this time next year, I can report a 2nd year of streaking, and hopefully, will have run at least 1,300 miles. ;)

The Big Changes

After several very positive job offers were considered, Jerry has accepted a position in Winston Salem, NC.  His tentative start date is set for mid-January.

It's an exciting move for him since it will offer him a step up in both pay and position and promises to be rich with opportunities for professional growth.

So that's awesome.

The kids and I won't be joining him in NC immediately, though, since after a few lengthy discussions with my Dean, I decided it was to my own professional benefit to stay and finish my academic contract and teach the remainder of the year.  So.  That's gonna be tough to be apart, and I'll be honest: the idea of full time Momming and full time teaching is intimidating, but I know I can do it.  Especially when I know there's an end in sight.

The big question will be: Will I be able to continue streaking?

2013 Turkey Trot 5K

After I posted on Wednesday that I didn't expect much from Thursday's 5K, I went out and surprised myself and my legs by running a new PR (by 2 seconds) of 26:33.

Afterward, seeing how narrowly I'd beat last year's PR, I kinda kicked myself for not really pushing it in that 3rd mile and earning a significant PR.  Doesn't matter.  I was pleased with what I did.  Leading up to the race, I actually wasn't sure if I'd even be able to pull off a 30 minute 5K (my legs were still achin' something serious from that fall).

Here's the kids and I after the race; they were all about the cookies:

 

For my effort, I was really sore on Friday, but thankfully, by yesterday, my legs seemed fully recovered from both the fall and the race.  And, yesterday was day #335 in the streak: Exactly 30 days until I can celebrate my 1 year streak-versary!

Falling Down

On Sunday, while running, I tripped, fell, and scraped my left knee. (I also did something uncomfortable to my right quad because it's been aching like I ran a marathon.)  However, after I fell, I assessed the damaged, determined it wasn't anything I couldn't run through, and ran on to finish up my planned run.  The streak is now at day #330.

The fall, while real, is a good metaphor for the entire month of November.  Because Jerry and I have had a doozy of a November.

Jerry got laid off.

There's a lot to discuss here in terms of explanation, but it's boring, and it's not a tale no one hasn't heard before.  It was a blow, but:

Thankfully, Jerry had anticipated the company's downsizing and had already been pursuing a few promising leads, and since the news, he has been inundated with calls, emails, and texts with leads and opportunities.  Ironically, now that he's a "free agent," managers from across the country have been contacting him and doing their best to try and "pick him up off the waiver."  Sorry, that was a lot of sports talk.

From all this, he will most certainly find a fitting offer from another company.

Also, he received a generous severance and, with our savings, we aren't concerned about any immediate financial impact.  Plus, you know, I work too.

While we are some of the most fortunate who can receive this kind of news, it still complicates our lives and is stressful to deal with.  A new opportunity for him most certainly means moving out of state.  We will probably have options to consider, but it's a big decision, and a big move (wherein I will have to resign my job), especially since we don't yet know where or when.  That would be okay, but we're also on the verge of closing on our condo, which we've already been negotiating a sale on now for months.  We're now set to close on that at the end of December.

In the end, all of these big events will, most likely, work out just fine and maybe even better than fine -- in some ways, the lay off could be advantageous for us and maybe push to make some decisions we were reluctant to undertake before.

So, the lay off announcement pushed us down, but we didn't stay down, and while his company's decision bruised, it's nothing that won't fade and that we can't recover from.

As for the running: Tomorrow, I run in my 9th consecutive Turkey Trot 5K, a streak of its own, but I have no expectations about time this year.  My runs following Sunday's spill have been short and slow, and I doubt my legs will feel good enough tomorrow to really push myself.

Still...you never know.  Sometimes an unexpected descent means you have no where to go, but up.

Sayonara October!

October always feels like a particularly long month.  And the last week of the month was particularly exhausting: We had company staying with us (which is always fun but is also busy), then I came down with a round of the barfs, and then it was Halloween which, once you have kids, requires days of events not just one day.  Given that, I was just happy to get last week's runs done, and squeeze in an even 100 miles for the month.

So, I'm happy to see October in the rearview and am pleased to look forward to November, one of my favorite months.  I have the turkey trot on Thanksgiving (always one of my favorite traditions), and I am planning for an early December half marathon, so I have that training beginning to peak as well.  Thankfully the weather has begun to cool off, so even though the days are shorter and I'll have to adjust to running in the dark, the relief of more temperate weather is welcome.

In general, because FL's sub tropical climate gives us the opposite enjoyable weather as the rest of the country, from now until March I get to enjoy FL's "race season," and just yesterday, I was starting to get excited about determining which events I wanted to include in this year's race calendar.  Certainly, it's tempting to do them all, but practicality dictate that time and finances be considerations, so I have to limit my choices.  Still, it's always fun to look at my choices and weigh the favorites with the events I've never done, or haven't done in awhile.

I'm lucky to have such choice, and it being November, I do pause to be grateful for the running events that stretch out before me from now until March.

M.I.A.

In terms of running, October has been an average month: Still streaking (today is day #300 -- "only" 65 more days before I can fill out the forms and submit my official USRSA application!) and still putting in an average of 3-4 miles a day.  However, in terms of blogging, October has been a giant failure.

In part this is because I've been very busy with work this month (midterm), but in part, I've had little that feels blogworthy.

The weather has cooled off here, though, and it's been lovely here in South Florida, so for the first time in almost 6 months, I'm enjoying running outside again.  Does that count as a noteworthy piece of blogformation?

Hope so.  Because it's all I got right now.

Taking it Easy

Last week, after hitting the month's mileage goal, I promptly caught a cold.  With an accompanying low-grade fever.  Admittedly, I internally freaked out a bit with the fever since last year at this time, I got sick with a virus whose principle symptom was a low grade fever and it wound up undoing the streak I had going back then.  Thankfully, by Friday, the fever had passed and so had most of my other symptoms and I was feeling better.

But, I did take advantage then of a "bye" week in terms of mileage.  I ran no more than 3 miles a day, and totaled the week with 19.64 miles, almost half of the previous week's effort.

Honestly, it's been nice giving myself a little running "break," as the decreased effort spilled into this week too.  A streak never affords a runner an entire break, but it's funny how such a descrease in mileage really does feel like one.  

Boom

Nailed it!

Yesterday, on September 30th, precisely within my designated timeframe, I ran 2013's 1,000th mile, which also happens to be my streak's total mileage.  It was day #272 in the streak, which means that I have averaged 3.6 miles a day this year and in this streak.

To my surprise, Jerry had picked me up the above shirt as a gift for celebrating the occassion.  Jerry.  He's the best, isn't he?

I feel like I've rounded a curve in this streak and in this year's running, and now I look forward to upcoming approach of the 1 year mark (93 days away!) when I can register to become an "official" streaker.  Plus, if I can maintain my average of 3.6 miles a day until the end of year, I'll log a year's mileage that exceeds any previous year's mileage. 

Sheesh.  I would say it's tough being this awesome.  But, really, it's not.  I'm a natural.

Down to the Wire

At the beginning of the month, I announced my intention to reach my 1,000th mile (this year) by the end of September, and for the most part, I've been diligent in my endeavor.  But, over the weekend, I hit a bit of a running slump.

We were camping in the Keys -- left on Friday, returned on Sunday -- and both the prep, the camping itself, and the return left me wiped out, so I ran minimum mileage those 3 days.  So, I put myself a bit behind in the mileage.

Now, with 6 days left in the month, I need to run 29 miles to achieve my goal.  That's 4.8 miles each day.

Obviously, if I hit 1K on Oct 1st, rather than Sept 30th, the world doesn't end, so there's no "real" pressure to achieve this.  Still.  I set a goal for myself, I like to see it through.

So, for 4.8 miles a day for the next 6 days?  It's on.

Perception

Yesterday, I was at the gym getting my miles in, and when I finished my 4 miles, I was wiping down the treadmill when the guy next to me said, "I can't believe you can run for 38 minutes without stopping!  That's amazing."

It made me chuckle since, to many runners, running A.) 4 miles isn't much, B.) 4 miles in 38 minutes isn't fast, and C.) without taking break is kinda expected.  But, that's why, as I walked out to my car, his comment felt meaningful.

It's so easy, as a runner, to look at what everyone else is doing not appreciate what I am capable of.  Running 4 miles in 38 minutes is not impressive to some, but to others?  It is.

So, inadvertently, his flattering comment helped me pause and be grateful for being in such good health that I can run, every day, and not think of it as anything particularly remarkable.  That's a luxury.

Monday's Run

On Mondays, Norah started ballet at school.  It goes from 3:15 until 4:15, so I have an hour to kill.  How do I do that?  How do you think?  Run!

It's too hot at that time of day to run outside, but yesterday I did what will probably become routine on Mondays: Run on the treadmill at the gym.

It's been a looooooooonnnngggggg while since I last ran on a treadmill, and even though it was boring, it was nice to feel (somewhat) speedy again.  Over the course of the last few months, even though I wear my Garmin and record my time, I have been doing my best to ignore my timing since it's been so dang slow.  I know that this time of year, with the heat, always slows me down, and this year I also have to account for the toll a streak takes on me.  So, I've gotten used to averaging 10:30 min/miles. 

But, yesterday's run on the treadmill was a different story.  Inside the A/C and on the treadmill (where I can just set the pace and then keep up), I ran 6 miles in 58:10, which is a 9:40 pace.  Stil slow considering that in March I ran a 10K in 56:12, which is a 9:03 pace.

Still.  I was pleased with it. A sub-hour 6 miler right now is more than welcome!

Today, then, I'm feeling it: A bit sore, a bit tight.  But, pleasantly so.

Weekend Running

Weekends are often when runners are able to really pack their miles in, which makes sense because we all have a little extra time on the weekend.  But. I have long found it a struggle.  It's the one time during the week when my streakin' resolve falters.

During the week, my daily runs have cemented their place in our routine, but on the weekend, when routines are more loosey-goosey, finding the right fit for running's timing is sometimes a stretch.  Case in point: This past weekend.

On Saturday morning, I decided to fit in just a quick few miles before I needed to get ready and take Norah to a mornign birthday party.  I ran 2 miles with the intention of running more later in the day.  But then the day was pretty packed with fun: birthday party and then a family trip to the Art Museum, and then I ate 2 Bahn Mi's, and well, my plan to get back out there crumbled in favor of watching "Escape from Planet Earth" with the kids instead.

On Sunday, I could have gotten up early and run, but I lacked the will, as I often do in the morning.  Especially a Sunday morning, when I just want to be able to sit and actually drink a hot cup of coffee.  Again, we had a birthday party to attend -- this time in the afternoon -- and, I drank 2 beers, ate a sizable burger, and then an even more sizable slice of birthday cake.  I got home feeling tired and bloated, but knew I still had to fit in a run.  I did 4.2 miles, which was more than I thought I would when I walked out the door, but afterward, I wished I had run earlier in the day so I could've allowed the food and drink to settle in like a brick.

So, it gets done, but 10K in 2 days is pretty weak.

But, if this weekend had been a race for cake consumption, I would've rocked it!

August Tally

For August, I managed to squeek by with exactly 100 miles, making the month my year's lowest mileage month (Feb clocked in at 101, but considering it is a few days shorter than August, it really makes August look like a wimp).  It wasn't a stellar running month, but still, one can't complain about logging 100 miles and maintaining a streak.  So, there.  That's me not complaining.

Annnnddd, moving on: September has been a fresh start with the miles, and I'm off to a solid start.  The main goal this month is, as I mentioned last week, to reach my year's 1,000th mile before month's end.

And, of course, to keep streaking.  Today will be Day #246.

In case you lost track. ;)

Old Habits

They die hard, don't they?

All the Little Runs

August's mileage has been a bit disappointing.  For the first two weeks of the month, my weekly mileage was in the teens, and excepting yesterday's 5 miler, I haven't run anything longer than 4 miles. 

That means I'm going to barely coast through the month by meeting my 100 mile minimum.

I could blame the heat, Norah's birthday, the start back to school...but last August, I managed to run 150 miles, and I had all the same factors then as now.  Dammit, guess I can't blame anything or anyone but myself for logging so many short runs.

Oh well, it's nothing really to complain about: I keep on streakin and doing my best to log the miles I need, and that's what counts for me right now.

However, I do already have my sights on September's potential mileage because I'm nearing in on 2013's 1000th mile.  If I meet my mileage expectation for this week, and round out August, and te year so far, with 880 miles, that means I -- obviously -- have 120 miles to run in September to hit 1000 by the end of that month.

120 miles, 30 days, an average of 4 miles a day.

It'll be my new challenge.

*Disclaimer: If you notice typos and misspellings in my recent posts: Blame Blogger.  Something screwy is going on and it won't allow me to edit anything.  Any techy advice?*

White Rabbit

Day #233 in my running streak proved eventful.

First of all, I've been running the same 4 mile route everyday this week, and each evening, I've been spying an albino rabbit  near the path.  Tonight, I got his pic.

 

Actually, if I'd wanted to, I think I could've scooped him up, and he'd have been happy to go home with me.  Clearly, he's a pet.  Or was someone's pet.  I told Jerry that despite the fact that I don't want to bring a white rabbit home, I confess that I've been fretting a bit about his well-being.  It's probably a bad sign I've come to think of him as Harold.

Naming found animals.  Not the path to just letting them be.

After my Harold sighting, I ran on to discover that a stretch of my regular sidewalk was torn up.  Gone.
 

So, for half a mile, I ran on the road.  Kinda scary in South FL.

Some drivers will slow down and move over, but many, frankly, will not.

I think I'll have to run an alternate path until this construction is finished.  I don't need running to turn into a suicide mission.

Then who would look out for Harold?

Back to School

So, today is the 1st day back to school -- for both me and the kids (my classes don't actually start until next Monday, but this week is still back to work for me).

This morning, Norah alternated between excited and nasueous, as she proclaimed several times during our car ride that she was "gonna puke!" but she never barfed and once we got to school, she was fine.  More than fine, actually.  She scooted off to play with friends the second we stepped in her classroom, and I had to remind her to give me a hug and kiss goodbye.

Caleb had no real inclination of what going back to school meant, but he was a good sport.  When I dropped him off in his class, he was fine, and little dazed but didn't cry or anything.  Then, as I was leaving the building after takign Norah to her class, I circled back to his room just to peek in, and I saw him crying and his teacher comforting him.  Dammit!  That tore me up, especially because I knew that going back in would be a mistake, so I didn't.  And, I hate having left knowing that the last image of him was in tears.

Rationally, I know his crying was probably brief and he's fine, but...still.  Breaks my heart.

As for me, getting back to work has been surreal so far.  It's like I have to re-learn everything, and my brain is like, "You want me to do wha?"  Seriously, I had to print something and for a brief moment, I had to think about how to do that.  It was weird.

I know in a week or two, we'll be back into this school groove, but for today, I feel like I'm living in an alternate dimension.

Gearing up for Back to School

Admittedly, the whole "back to school" season has snuck up on me this year, and I'm kinda scrambling in this last week of summer vacay to both prepare everyone for the change next week and to make the most of our last week of our vacation.

Norah is excited for school, especially since she'll be in VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten), and that makes her feel like a big kid.

Caleb has no clue what's going on, but will definitely have a tough transition back, but will be fine and will probably stop crying at drop off sometime in April...

As for me, I fall somewhere in between the excitement and the crying.

It'll be fun to be back in the classroom.  I enjoy my work, and after the time off, I feel refreshed and eager to be back to teaching.  Plus, it'll be nice to have more daily adult interaction and to have more stimulating conversations.  And, as I always say with kids: "It's good to miss them a little."

On the other hand, I've grown accustomed to our lassiez faire routine this summer, so transitioning back to a solid routine with a specific schedule will be a jolt.  I'm not gonna get to sit in my PJs and leisurely drink my coffee while we watch "Phinneas and Ferb" first thing in the morning, and that's especially gonna smart.  That, and having to adjust to again packing lunches. 

Plus, I enjoy spending the day with the kiddos.  We've had a lot of fun this summer, and as they continue to grow and get older, they get easier, so it's not as stressful as staying home was, say, 2 years ago when Caleb was an infant.

Anyhoo...we still have some shopping left to get done and some fun times to wrap up the week.  Then, Monday, the 19th is D-Day. 

Yikes.

Snotpacalypse 2013

One of the benefits of staying home with the kids, as opposed to having them in school, is far fewer illnesses.  It probably has helped that it's summer too and fewer viruses are floating around.  Either way, up until last week, neither the kids nor I had been sick since April.  For us, that's a record amount of time.

Of course, having such a long, healthy stretch means that when we did all come down with a cold, it felt pretty awful.  Thankfully, it was a minor bug and within 48 hours, we were all feeling better. But...

...The boogers lingered.

For me, it was like a boomerang: I was feeling completely better; then, the congestion set in and I felt yucky again.  The congestion was so bad on Wed and Thursday this week, and my right ear was SO plugged up, I thought for sure I had another ear infection.

Yet, I held off going to the doctor because...I'm lazy, I guess...but, I adopted the wait and see policy, and while I'm still congested and my ear is still plugged, I can tell it's better.  Not dramatically better, but subtly better.

I've been taking decongestants (but only taking the minimum dosage because they make me super tired and with the kids, I really can't afford to be feeling sleepy all day), but as always, I've found that the best decongestant is running.

I don't know the science of why, but I've always found that running clears out the mucus better than anything else.  On Wednesday's run, I actually got to experience one of those satisfying POP!s in my ear and for a brief moment (before fluid rushed in to the emptied space), I could hear again.  It's always kinda tough to drudge up the motivation to keep running when sick, but for me, I always feel better afterward.

Hopefully, I begin to feel better soon because tomorrow is Norah's 4th birthday (I KNOW!  can you believe it?) and her birthday party, and my dad is flying in today to spend the weekend with us.  So, I'll be too busy for boogers.

Dog Days

I was gonna try not to whine about the heat this summer, because, you know: It's kinda boring.

But, can I just say, "Sheeeet, it's effin HOT out there!"

 

If you don't live in FL, you might see those thunderstorm symbols and think, "Yeah, but rain means it'll cool off, right?"  HA!  No, that just means higher humidity.  All. The. Time.  There's really no escaping it in this season; that's why you can see that the highs and lows don't vary by more than 10 degrees: It is a constant level of sweltering here this time of year.

 

Ok, I said my piece about heat for the summer: Ahhhhh, I feel better!