When I set my goals for 2012, I didn't think for a moment I was being unreasonable. I'm a full time mom, a wife, a part time runner, a home-maker, I have my priorities and I can balance it all. It's all part of the challenge (which I enjoy)...WAIT! Enter the Holidays, a new full time job, vacation, death in the family...OY!
Looking back on my training for my upcoming marathon in two weeks, I'm proud to say I stuck to my plan and hurdled (har har) over the obstacles put in front of me. Here are the conversations that took place in my head while planning for and doing long runs in the face of tragedy, drama, chaos and adversity.
November 24 + 25... Thanksgiving then my step brother's wedding. Better eat and drink light! got 12 miles to run on November 26. Oh wait! My sister is in town? Whatevs, she can come along too!
December 1-6... Fly to Vegas to visit my sister. Vegas Half Marathon on December 4. No personal best in this race. Ran shoulder to shoulder with 47,000 people and was in costume!! Can we say woot woot for Santa's little helpers!?
Christmas Eve... gearing up for official Hyannis Marathon training. Run 10 miles, take Christmas off.
New Years Eve... Run 15 miles and have a no guilt evening out. Bring on the sushi, and DO NOT hold back on sauces! Hmmmm, maybe I've achieved ultimate fitness...My legs don't even hurt, not even in these 5 inch heels.
January 16... Run 17 miles (in temps not exceeding 20 degrees). Ahhh! I just started a new job! My son goes to school now! I'm not a stay at home mommy any more! Whoa, life has shifted! Ut Oh, my tummy hurts....
January 17... my second official day at work and I need to call out sick. The Stomach bug has crippled me (and seemingly everyone else in the state of CT, including hubby and my Peanut). Five unplanned rest days ahead. Thank goodness I got my long run in.
January 21... Still not feeling my best but training needs to recommence. 13 miles, here I come!
January 24... My Grandma passes away :o( It's a sad week. Funeral is Sunday. Sister and cousins flying in from all over.
January 28... Grandma's funeral is tomorrow. Gotta log some miles still. 18.5 DONE and in record time, averaging a 9:05 pace! (fueled by advil, mucinex and sudafed, mind you. The stomach bug is gone, but now I have a cold) Shit, I ran 40 miles last week?!!
February 1... Florida is so close, I can taste it! Vacation is upon us. Can't map out a 13 miler for vacation though because I don't know the roads down there. Oh well. Shift training plan. Run 10 miles after work the day before departure, then 10 miles when I get back from FL. Bringing running gear for some short 3 milers around the resort. Wait, it's 62 degrees in CT in February?? Where are my shorts at?
February 2-7...LOTS of walking at Disney. My feet hurt so bad. More so from holding Justin half the time because he hates being in a stroller. We should have got one of those kid leashes... Still setting the alarm for 6:00 am to run before Joe golfs at 9:00 though (only did this twice on vacay).
February 8... right back to the gym, post vacation.
February 9... got that other 10 miler in.
February 11... got 20 miles on the plan. It's supposed to snow then be windy and "frigid" all weekend. Stressing about how I will get this run done. Run 5 miles to gym, 10 on treadmill, then 5 home? Run all outdoors in the snow? I'd rather forgo the frostbite which will ensue from wet cold shoes. Maybe it won't snow at all. After all, it's barely snowed since OCTOBER! Run on dad's treadmill and commission family to keep me company during a movie? At my goal pace, I'll be done in 3ish hours. That's ONLY 3 hours of my life. I can do that! Treadmill, Shmedmill... What movies are 3 hours long? I have Casino on DVD...
These conversations are constant. Not a day goes by I'm not plotting and planning my runs. Thinking about running, what gear I'll need, which route I'll run. Hills? no hills? Indoors? Outdoors? Do I need new insoles? Is this sports bra supportive enough? Where are my good hair elastics?
Stay tuned for how I muddle my way through this 20 tomorrow. My next thoughts will be on the 26.2 I do in two weeks!!
Showing posts with label working mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label working mom. Show all posts
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
CHA CHA CHA CHA Changes
So the past week began with my last day at Burton's and ended with my first day at Valassis. For those of you that don't know, Burton's had been my part time gig for the last 18 months or so. It's an upscale restaurant that I worked mostly lunch shifts. My parents were each able to help out and watch Justin while I worked, and my hours were so few that I never unclaimed my title "stay-at-home-mom"...until Friday anyway. Friday I started working the ole 40 hour, 9-5 again.
Over Thanksgiving, a past co-worker reached out to me. He is with Valassis, a company which laid me off while I was still preggo with the Noodle. Joel asked what my current job situation was and if I'd be interested in working with him in an Event Planner type role. I was immediately interested. I told him I'd have to give notice at Burton's and with Triple Helix (another company in which I worked up to 3 hours per week as a virtual assistant to the CEO). Thank goodness Joel contacted me so many weeks before I started for him because there was a lot of prep I needed to do. In addition to giving notice at my two jobs, I had to secure daycare for Justin. Not only secure it, but mentally prepare for it...
I've always been very apprehensive about getting Justin into a daycare setting. I think germs, first and foremost, then guilt settles in. Justin is MY KID, why should I hand him over to a bunch of strangers while I work? I thought this until just a few weeks ago when I realized he is at an age where he should be interacting with other kids. The daycare we looked at, and later chose for Justin to attend is great for Justin to interact with other kids in, learn, play, explore, etc.
So, though I initially never thought Justin would attend a daycare, I now think it's good for him, albeit the germs are still a concern of mine...
Friday was the big day. I surprisingly slept well on Thursday, woke up on my training rest day and began getting ready for work. Joe was in charge of getting Justin dressed and ready. He will be, going forward. We successfully got ourselves out the door and to daycare and work with no tears. I'm leaving out details of my mini-breakdown on Thursday evening after Justin went to bed ;o)
I called the daycare twice during the day to check in on my little guy and both times they said he was doing great. When I picked him up, I learned he had napped, ate, and sat on the potty twice!! WOW!! That's more progress than I make in a week, LOL! He had a wonderful day and wants to go back, thankfully. He'll only be there three days per week. The other two days, he'll be with my mom or dad. They are able to watch him and I think it's still important for him to be with family.

Work for me was good too by the way. I'll enjoy my role there. It was good to be welcomed back by so many familiar faces.
So, it's winter in New England and I'm training for the Hyannis Marathon in 6ish weeks. Friday was my rest day and yesterday was supposed to be a 17 miler. Wind and bitter cold pushed me into postponing the long run to today. A sleepless night and still single digit temps are pushing me into postponing to tomorrow. Justin woke up vomiting three times last night. Twice I stripped the bed and stuck him in the tub. Poor guy has never been sick like that before. Correlation with daycare...I dunno... :-/ I'm tired today but still am contemplating running 17. Tomorrow is MLK day, a work Holiday and temps are supposed to be back up into the 30's. I may be stupid not to take advantage of being able to do it tomorrow. We'll see. If it's not above 20 degrees by noon today, then I will go tomorrow. It's a shame since I hydrated so well yesterday in preparation for a run today. I'm a planner after all and if things go askew, it nags me.
Well, laundry beckons... need to take one comforter out of the dryer to get the next set of bedding in then the next set. argh. An all day affair :o(
Over Thanksgiving, a past co-worker reached out to me. He is with Valassis, a company which laid me off while I was still preggo with the Noodle. Joel asked what my current job situation was and if I'd be interested in working with him in an Event Planner type role. I was immediately interested. I told him I'd have to give notice at Burton's and with Triple Helix (another company in which I worked up to 3 hours per week as a virtual assistant to the CEO). Thank goodness Joel contacted me so many weeks before I started for him because there was a lot of prep I needed to do. In addition to giving notice at my two jobs, I had to secure daycare for Justin. Not only secure it, but mentally prepare for it...
I've always been very apprehensive about getting Justin into a daycare setting. I think germs, first and foremost, then guilt settles in. Justin is MY KID, why should I hand him over to a bunch of strangers while I work? I thought this until just a few weeks ago when I realized he is at an age where he should be interacting with other kids. The daycare we looked at, and later chose for Justin to attend is great for Justin to interact with other kids in, learn, play, explore, etc.
So, though I initially never thought Justin would attend a daycare, I now think it's good for him, albeit the germs are still a concern of mine...
Friday was the big day. I surprisingly slept well on Thursday, woke up on my training rest day and began getting ready for work. Joe was in charge of getting Justin dressed and ready. He will be, going forward. We successfully got ourselves out the door and to daycare and work with no tears. I'm leaving out details of my mini-breakdown on Thursday evening after Justin went to bed ;o)
I called the daycare twice during the day to check in on my little guy and both times they said he was doing great. When I picked him up, I learned he had napped, ate, and sat on the potty twice!! WOW!! That's more progress than I make in a week, LOL! He had a wonderful day and wants to go back, thankfully. He'll only be there three days per week. The other two days, he'll be with my mom or dad. They are able to watch him and I think it's still important for him to be with family.
Work for me was good too by the way. I'll enjoy my role there. It was good to be welcomed back by so many familiar faces.
So, it's winter in New England and I'm training for the Hyannis Marathon in 6ish weeks. Friday was my rest day and yesterday was supposed to be a 17 miler. Wind and bitter cold pushed me into postponing the long run to today. A sleepless night and still single digit temps are pushing me into postponing to tomorrow. Justin woke up vomiting three times last night. Twice I stripped the bed and stuck him in the tub. Poor guy has never been sick like that before. Correlation with daycare...I dunno... :-/ I'm tired today but still am contemplating running 17. Tomorrow is MLK day, a work Holiday and temps are supposed to be back up into the 30's. I may be stupid not to take advantage of being able to do it tomorrow. We'll see. If it's not above 20 degrees by noon today, then I will go tomorrow. It's a shame since I hydrated so well yesterday in preparation for a run today. I'm a planner after all and if things go askew, it nags me.
Well, laundry beckons... need to take one comforter out of the dryer to get the next set of bedding in then the next set. argh. An all day affair :o(
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)