April and May.

Well. Here I am, two months after my last post. Where have those two months gone?

They were filled with baseball games, birthday celebrations, and essential oils classes, mostly! It really has been a bit of a whirlwind around here.

I also got in some running and have been progressing fairly nicely.

April miles: 59.3

May miles: 63.9

Compare that to where I started the year -- a measly half-mile at the end of January -- and, hooray! I'm happy for the miles I'm running these days.

I'm also happy for the fun my two boys have been having playing baseball. The regular season has ended for both of them but my little guy had a great time in his first season of t-ball and my big just-turned-8 year old loved every minute of his farm season. His team did well in the playoffs, making it to the championship game, but ultimately losing in a hard-played game. He's now moving on to All-Stars so we have another "season" of baseball ahead of us!

T-ball! 

Getting a hit in the semi-finals.

The 8-year-old requested a baseball stadium cake -- so I got busy and made one :-)

 Have a great week, everyone!

Post-running injury disorder.

As I've been making my way back from my hamstring injury in November, I've realized something about myself: I am, on the one hand, full of joy because I am running. On the other hand . . . I am full of fear . . . because I am running.

This is real.

I've been contemplating signing up for a 5K now that I'm able to run 5 miles comfortably. But, I haven't pulled the trigger. I just keep contemplating it.

And I keep talking myself out of signing up.

Why? Because I'm afraid of re-injury, sure. But why else? Because I'm -- and this is so vain I don't even like to admit it -- well, I'm afraid my race time will be too slow.

Now, before you jump all over me and say that slow is relative and my slow is someone else's fast and all that  . . . let me stop you and say, I know all that. I do. And I get it.

However, it does not change the feeling that I have about my times. I don't really care what my times are in relation to anyone else's times. I care what they are in relation to me. And now I'm feeling like my speed is gone. Like I'm at that point where I'm not getting any faster and, in fact, will see only slower times ahead. Like I'm the Pokey Runner. 

This is totally a case of post-running injury disorder.

See, I spent 9 weeks not running At. All. And when I got back to it I was running only a half mile at a time. I can totally understand why I was feeling unsure about my running back then. Even when I'd gotten up to a full mile, I was still feeling pain.

Now, though, I'm not. I'm good to go. Good to run. Good to race.

So, why not go for it, already?!?

It's the fear. I know. And I know I've got to get over it.

Today, I actually made a little progress. I ran 4+ miles and then tacked on 5 hill repeats (for about another mile). This was the first time I've run anything close to speedwork since before the marathon. It was a big step, for sure.

We'll see if it helps shake the fear. 

I need that powerful weapon back!

I'll be working on it. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

March recap.

And justlikethat my mileage tripled!

In February, I ran that half marathon over the course of the month. In March, I logged a full 36.4 miles. Look at me go! Almost 10 miles a week. A far cry from where I was last fall -- and also a far cry from the big fat zero miles I ran in December and the half mile I ran in January!

So, there's that. And I'm not mad about it.

In fact, I'm thrilled. Because, really, my running is picking up right as the weather is brightening up. And what could be better than that?

I'm ready for April! Ready for more miles! Ready for springtime running!

Almost . . . almost . . . ready to get a race on my schedule. Almost.

Baby steps. Or baby runs, as the case may be!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Getting real.

Last weekend, running got real.

It has been a long, long time since I've felt like I was really running. A long time. Ever since I started my gradual build-up from nothing to something in February, I've been on the treadmill. This winter has been too cold, too snowy for me to try anything outside during this early stage of recovery.

Saturday, though, was a sunny day. A dry day. A no-snow-on-the-roads day.

So I ran. Outside. In the sun.

Folks, I have missed it. And I didn't truly realize how much I have missed getting outside for a run until I actually did. Yes, I knew I missed running. I mean, c'mon. Of course I did. But, I'd convinced myself that it was OK to be on the DL. That it wasn't that horrible to not run.

And, in many ways, it wasn't that horrible to not run. But it wasn't great. And even when I started running again and I was logging half miles and then miles on the treadmill, I still wasn't getting the full experience.

Once I did, it all came rushing back to me.

Oh, running. I've missed you. I've missed you so very much.

Sure, it was only 3 miles but they were 3 miles IN THE SUN! With brisk air -- downhills, uphills, twists, turns. It was wonderful!

This week the weather looks like it will cooperate again and I should be able to get out for more outside runs.

Life is good.

Have a great week!

February Half Marathon.

That's right. I ran a half-marathon in February!

Not all at once, mind you. But, over the course of 28 days I ran 13.1 miles.

13.1 miles. In 28 days! Look at me go . . .

Now, 13.1 miles may not be a lot. I know that. It is a lot, however, when compared to the half mile I ran in January and the zero miles I ran in December. Compared to those monthly totals, February was a monster.

And March? Well, I have a good feeling about the month. It is full of promise -- the beginning of spring, the return to substantial mileage. Heck, I might even run a marathon this month!

Just not all at once.

I have a long way to go before that happens again :-)

Have a great week, everyone!

Three months.

At the 3 month mark of my injury, I'm feeling really hopeful.

My recovery is going very, very, sloooooowly. But, anything worth doing takes time, right? And recovering well is totally worth doing. So, if it takes a long time I have to be OK with that.

I'm running again. The most I've run so far is 2 miles, a couple of times. But, 2 miles is SO FAR from nothing!!! It is a pretty big deal.

I'm also still using the ellipitical and bike and I'm doing the tv workouts.

The only thing that has a tendency to discourage me is the snow and cold. At first, I kept telling myself that if I was going to be injured, a cold and snowy winter was the time to be injured. I mean, what would I be missing? Running in the freezing cold? Slipping on the ice? Who needs that?

But, now --- now, I'm recovering. I'm ready to start running outside but I can't. I can't risk slipping -- or tearing a too-cold and stiff muscle -- and setting myself back 3 months. I just won't do it.

And that rots. Because, right now, if I could run outside, I'd be farther along in my recovery. Running on the treadmill uses the same motion over and over -- especially because I can't use the incline at this stage of my recovery. So, I get to a point where I have to stop. Yes, I'm taking walk breaks and that helps. But if I was running outside . . . oh, well. I'm not. No sense making myself crazy with thoughts of what could be!

Spring and the promise of wonderful outdoor runs will be here soon! Until then, I'm content to just be able to run again :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

Progress!

Slowly but surely I am starting to run. My longest unbroken run has been a mile but I've only done that once since starting back. Mostly, I've been running a half mile, walking for a quarter mile and running another half mile. It is what I can do right now. I'm glad to be doing it.

Would I love to be logging more miles? Would I love to have the confidence in my body to start considering a fall marathon or half-marathon like most of my running friends are doing?

Yes and yes.

But am I sad? Am I discouraged?

Honestly? Maybe a little. But probably less than you might expect. I mean, it rots, this whole not-able-to-really-run thing. But I'm doing other things. I'm riding the bike and using the elliptical at the gym. I'm exercising along with the "master trainers" on the Radius programs. I'm lifting some weights at home and at the gym.

None of it is the same as running, for sure. And I do miss running more than a half mile at a time.

This I know: I'll be back to more significant distance soon. In the meantime, I'll just be hanging around, working on my endurance!

Have a great week, everyone!

Half and half.

Well, friends, it happened.

I ran.

Yup, I ran.

In fact, I've run twice. Twice!

This is a big deal here in Happy Runner-ville. I mean, before these two runs, my last run was Thanksgiving day. (A.K.A. Horrible Hamstring Injury day.) That was waaaaay back in November.

But on January 30th, I ran again. I was walking along on the treadmill and I decided to just go for it. Try it out. See if I could run. Even a little.

And I did! I ran a half mile. A HALF MILE!!!!

It was awesome. Yeah, it was slow as anything and my hamstring was barking for the last half of that half mile, but I RAN!

Best part? Afterward I felt no worse than I felt before.

So, I went for it again and ran on Sunday. This time, I really pushed the envelope and ran a little more than a half mile. I think I made it all the way to .6 of a mile. Again, I felt it in my hamstring for the last half of the run but I didn't feel any worse afterward.

Good signs.

If I can keep this up, I'll be running a mile in no time :-)

To me, this is a super-duper development in my recovery plan. I've been soooooooooooo patient and I just hope that all of my patience and rehab exercises work so I can come back this spring and start to actually log some decent miles. I believe I will.

Even if I have to do it half mile at a time!

Have a great week, everyone!

25!

Well, after a good long post-marathon break, I'm slowly getting my mileage back up to where I'd like it to be. Not because I'm training for anything. Just because I feel better when I'm running a certain amount each week.

Last week, I hit it. I ran 25 miles. Oh, how wonderful it was.

Sure, I started the week running in shorts and ended running in winter tights (and gloves, ear-warming headband, heavy running jacket . . . ) but, hey. Weather is weather and you can't control it. All I can control is how I respond to it.

And I responded by enjoying it all. Every mile of the 25!

I'm back. Running and loving it.

Hallelujah!

This week I'm hoping for more of the same! Cold weather forecast be damned ;-)

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week!

Yasso 800s in the mix.

After focusing on marathon goal pace miles for the last few weeks, I decided I would run Yasso 800s yesterday. I wanted to test myself with some speedwork to kick off the week. My plan was to run 8 Yasso 800s, which requires me to run them at my goal marathon time, converted to minutes. So, 3:50-ish (my goal is 3:52).

If you're not familiar with Yasso 800s, here's a page that explains how they work.

I warmed up for about 3/4 of a mile and then took off running. I ran each 800 with a rest lap in between, where I jogged 400. Here's what my laps looked like:

Lap 1: 3:47 
Lap 2: 3:45 
Lap 3: 3:42 
Lap 4: 3:45 
Lap 5: 3:42 
Lap 6: 3:46
Lap 7: 3:48 
Lap 8: 3:41 

No 3:50s, but I was able to hold on. I mean, look at that 8th lap compared to the 1st -- 6 seconds faster! And I wasn't dying at all during these intervals. In fact, I felt really good. Really strong. I almost added on two more laps. But then I reminded myself to stick to my plan. No need to go all crazy with the Yassos!

That workout was a win. Now, I'm shifting my focus to my 20-miler for this weekend. I don't know where or when I'll do this run but I fully admit that I am already getting excited for it! 

Thanks for stopping by -- have a good week!

 

Clove Run 10 Mile Race Report.

Saturday was the day of two runs. My main goal was my 18 mile marathon training run. But it also happened to be the day of the Clove Run, a local 10-mile race that I've run for the past few years. I really enjoy the race and was even the top female finisher back in 2011.

This year, I decided to sandwich the race in the middle of my 18-miler. I figured it would be a good opportunity to test out my marathon goal pace over an extended run. Plus, I'd get to run 18 miles in a race atmosphere.

I started out by running 2 miles by myself and then hooked up with Elisa and Bridget for a mile. Bridget had already run 4 miles by herself (she was sandwiching the race in the middle of her 16-miler) so she left us and Elisa and I ran one more mile before the race started. I quickly changed out of my super-sweaty shirt and headed to the start line.

I had a plan. I wanted to run at a steady pace, but walk the two major hills. My marathon goal pace is 8:51 so I was hoping to stick close to that for the entire race. I know myself, however, so I know that I don't always start out slow enough in my races. I tend to bolt out of the gate. On Saturday, though, I kept it in check.

Mile 1: 8:40
Mile 2: 8:33
Mile 3: 8:29

I kept telling myself to slow down but I also tried really hard to only look at my watch at the mile markers. I wanted to run by feel as much as possible.

Those first 6 miles flew by -- surprisingly.

Mile 4: 8:36
Mile 5: 8:15
Mile 6: 8:31

There's no marker for Mile 6, but there is one for the 10K, which comes right before the first big hill. Because I had been feeling so good, I almost decided to run up the whole hill. But my plan was to walk at a certain point, so walk I did! My hip thanked me for it.

At the top of the hill, there is a family that has a water stop for the runners and they were so incredibly nice! I stopped, took my gel (honey stinger) and some water, chatted with the kind family, and then ran on.

As nice as that stop was, though, it might not have been worth it. That gel did me wrong. Or maybe it was the stopping? Or combination? Something was not right because a few minutes after taking the gel I got a cramp and it stuck with me for pretty much the rest of the race. Boo!

Mile 7: 9:24
Mile 8: 8:05
Mile 9: 8:29

And then there was the last mile. Ah, yes. The last mile with that hill. I walked it all. See, the hill comes at a point in the race when you've already run 9+ miles. Who wants to run up a steep hill at that point? Not me, that's for sure.

So, I walked and then tried my best to pull out a strong finish.

Mile 10: 10:14

I ended up finishing is 1:27:19 -- an 8:45 pace overall and good enough for 3rd place in my age group!

Not too shabby!

After finishing, I continued running for 4 more (slow) miles. The cool part of running those miles was that I also got to listen to my aunt's band that was providing post-race entertainment! Pretty awesome!

In the end, I ran 18 miles with 10 of them just under marathon goal pace. I learned that I do well with nuun in my water, but still need to figure out mid-race fuel. The gels really don't work for me. I re-confirmed that my Injinji toe socks rock for long runs. Same goes for my awesome favorite running skirt.

I wish I had some race day pictures but, alas, that didn't happen!

All-in-all, a good day of running! I'm glad I ran the Clove Run -- one of my favorite races -- as part of my 18-miler. Breaking the miles up like I did (4/10/4) made them relatively easy!

Sunday was a nice little recovery run and now, today, I will rest! Hope you had a great weekend -- thanks for stopping by!

Going early, going long.

Some days, I don't even know who I am.

Some days, it seems, I'm an early morning runner. That is not me. Not at all.

Except for when I am training for a marathon. In the middle of the summer. Then, apparently, I turn into that strange being that is the early morning runner.

And I don't mind it -- mostly. So odd, right?

Now, I usually do all of my long runs in the morning and some other runs as well. But when I've done those long runs, they've been at fairly civilized times. 7:30, perhaps. Or 8:00. Times that allow me to sleep until at least 7. Nothing crazy.

On Friday, though, I had 16 miles on the schedule and one of my running pals had to get in to work after the run. So we needed to get out early. Which meant I woke up in the 5s!

Nuttiness.

But I did it. 16 hilly, early-morning miles. Done. The first 10 miles were with Bridget and Elisa and they were full of conversation. The last 6 miles were done alone. Miles 11-14 were run right around marathon goal pace (8:51).

The last two miles were run right around barely running pace. I was dragging. With a mile and a half to go, I wanted to scrap the whole thing. Not just the run but the whole marathon training.

I gave myself a virtual slap upside the head, got back in the game and ran on. I finished the whole 16  miles. And the benefit of starting so early? I still had the whole day ahead of me.

Then, on Tuesday, I got up in the 5s again! This time, to meet a neighbor for an easy run.

We ran a little less than 4 miles together and I ran a mile on my own. I hadn't run with my neighbor since before my half marathon in May so it was good to catch up. Even if it did mean seeing these numbers on the clock when I woke up:

Who am I?

Still the same happy runner, for sure. Just with the renewed ability to bust out some miles early in the morning!

That's what marathon training does, I guess!

Enjoy the rest of your week, everyone!

July recap.

First, thanks for your comments on marathon pace runs. I'm making a few tweaks to my training plan and I'll be incorporating fast finish (marathon pace) long runs into the mix. I feel good about it.

Second, July rocked.

It did. I ran more than I've run in over a year. And I ran strong. I'm so pleased.

Here's the breakdown:

Running (miles):113.8
Races: 0
Cross training: not much

Wow. Over 100 miles for the month! That's great for me. I've been serious about rest and recovery, knowing full-well what happens when I skimp on those, so getting up over 100 miles and feeling so strong is a sign, to me, that my training is going well. Hooray!

I welcome what is to come in August!

Have a great day, everyone. Thanks for stopping by!

Marathon Pacing.

I'm having trouble. You see, I have a goal for my upcoming marathon. I'd like to PR. And if I do, I will likely be able to qualify for Boston.

My current marathon PR is 3:56:37. My Boston qualifying time is 3:55:00.

All I need is to cut two minutes off my time and I'll qualify. Of course, that doesn't mean I'll get in. To get in, I'm pretty sure I'll need to run a good bit faster than my qualifying time.

So, I have this goal. Yes, to PR. But, also to get in to Boston. I'd like to run under 3:52 for the marathon in October.

To do that, I need to run 8:51 miles. And here we get to my problem.

I can run that pace, easy-peasy. My half-marathon pace is faster than that so I know I can do it. The trick, of course, is holding the pace over 26.2 miles.

So I've been running marathon pace miles in my training. Well, I've been trying to. And I've been failing. I'm running them too fast, which won't do me any good in the marathon.

I need to get comfortable with 8:51 per mile. That's it. I don't need to get comfortable with 8:19 per mile or 8:37 per mile. I just need to glide through my miles at 8:51.

Yesterday was my third marathon pace workout. I warmed up for a mile and then ran 3 miles, targeting 8:51. Instead, I ran:

Mile 1: 8:41
Mile 2: 8:37
Mile 3: 8:37

Consistent, I guess, so maybe I should be pleased with my fairly even pacing? Or maybe I should go ahead and try again next week!

In other news, yesterday's run put me over 100 miles for July. That's the first time I've broken 100 miles since last September. And while I do not want to jinx myself, I'm feeling really good about how my training is going! My long runs are increasing steadily and well. My easy runs feel good.

If I can just start to nail these marathon pace runs, I'll feel even better!!

Any tips for perfecting marathon pace? I'd love to hear them!!

Have a great week, everyone!

Ready . . . set . . . train!

After a low-mileage June, July has brought a big change: Marathon training!

I'm registered for the Mohawk-Hudson Marathon in October and training started in full-force yesterday with a solo 10-mile run.

It was a hilly, humid run but I managed to finish strong, with a 9:30 pace overall.

It was a little weird to be running alone, but also just what I needed. I recently started a doTerra essential oils business and my mind has been racing. I love the oils and love the opportunity -- but there is still so much to learn and I have all these plans and sometimes my head spins from it all. Out on the run, I was able to really clear my thoughts.

Runs like that are good for the ol' confidence. I feel like I am prepared to start marathon training now that I have 10 miles run and done.

As far as my schedule goes . . . it is a work-in-progress. I have all of my long runs mapped out but I still need to plan my speed work and fill-in the days for my easy runs and cross-training. I'll work that out over the next few days. No worries there.

Now, I'm off to enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend. I hope you're having a great one!

June recap.

June was one of those months for me. When I was in the thick of it, I didn't feel like writing about it, because I tend to feel like the more life you give anything bad, the worse it is.

Now that the month is over, I can say that it was a bit of a stressful one, full of both good and bad stress. Like regular life, right?

Anyway, June started great -- Conal turned 7 and that was a happy, happy day. But then, well, yuck. A few days later, a huge casserole pan filled with baked macaroni and cheese fell on my right big toe -- from a high shelf in the refrigerator.

So much pain, bruising, swelling. I thought my fall marathon plans would have to be put on hold. But, a week of total rest from running (and as much keeping off the foot as I could), plus some icing, elevating, and rubbing it with healing essential oils, and my toe is more or less OK. Meaning, I can run on it with not much more pain than I'm used to.

Then my little guy got Lyme disease. Grrrr . . .

Totally threw me for a loop. But, I know that it was caught early so he shouldn't have any lasting problems.

Unfortunately, it happened right in the midst of another medical issue that he had. I won't go into all the details but my poor little guy has been to so many doctor and specialist appointments in the past two months -- but this past Friday he had an exploratory procedure that gave us really good news!

I'm so lucky that he's a happy patient!

Such relief!

June wasn't all gloomy, however. Niall finished his first year of preschool and had a sweet moving up ceremony.

Moving up!

And then we had a rocking trip to Long Beach Island, where I got in some great runs and the whole family relaxed and enjoyed the beach.

My boys at the beach!

Here's what the month looked like, mileage-wise:

Running (miles): 57.6
Races: 0
Cross-training: plenty of crossfit and (here's a new one for me!) bike riding

So that was June. I finished up the month by starting marathon training. It will heat up over the summer and I. Am. Ready.

Have a great week, everyone. Thanks for stopping by!

The Spring Runoff 10K.

So far, this here month of May is shaping up to be a good one.

On Saturday, I ran a 10K. Not a goal race, not even a race I'd been planning to run. Just a 10K that had been on my mind for a bit and that I decided earlier in the week to run.

I went to the race with Bridget and Janis and we met up with Kara at the registration table and set out to run 2 miles before the race started. We did -- but those 2+ miles were goofy. We ran with our goody bags back to Bridget's car. Break. Then we ran for about a mile until we hit the bathrooms. Another break. Then we ran toward Kara's car -- only we couldn't get there because we went the wrong way and it ended up that there were train tracks in our way and we had no interest in jumping them! So, another break.

Finally, we hit the starting line warmed-up from our almost 2.5 miles.

I said good luck to my friends and kept my eye out for my cousin, Kate. I found her and her boyfriend, Felix, and their friend Kyla just before the race started. After the start, I ran with Felix for about a minute before he sped off (and finished in a wicked fast 45:14 -- 7th overall!).

Look at me, hanging with the 20-somethings --

Me, Kate, Kyla, Felix

I had it in my mind that I would try to run 8 minute miles and that I would restrain myself and run a slower first half than second.

Now, if you've ever read one of my race reports, you know that I am just about the worst race starter there is. I start too fast. Pretty much every single time I race. Seriously.

On Saturday, though, I paced myself and ran a smart, strong, solid race. Check out the splits for my first 3 miles:

Mile 1: 8:00
Mile 2: 7:50
Mile 3: 7:51

The race was an out-and-back course, going out for a 5K and then turning around at a cone and going back to the finish for 5K. At the turn-around, a nice volunteer yelled out our 5K splits. Mine was 24:39.

Heading back, I got to see all my friends who were racing and give them some high-5s. It was so invigorating! I think that boost helped me run a faster second half. Well, that and holding myself back for those first miles.

Here are the rest of my mile splits:

Mile 4: 7:45
Mile 5: 7:46
Mile 6: 7:47
last .2: 7:43 pace

Hello, negative splits! I love it.

My friend Elisa made me smile with about a half mile to go.

 
It was a great race. I felt like I was definitely pushing myself, but also running well within my capabilities. The only downer was that my wonky pelvis couldn't contain itself and I felt discomfort in my right hip and hamstring for most of the race. Not cool.

I didn't dwell too much on that because I was busy cheering enthusiastically for my friends and family as they crossed the finish line!

Strong Running Mamas! Jennifer, Janis, me, Kara, Bridget, Elisa

Bridget, Janis and I had to book-it home so we took off before wishing friends -- including our best cheerleader, Elisa -- good luck in the 5K. And then we took our racers' highs out into the world of baseball games and birthday parties. You know, the regular weekend mom stuff!

Here are my race stats:

Overall time: 48:56
Overall pace: 7:53
Age group (F 40-49): 1 out of 15
Overall female: 5 out of 76
Overall place: 15 out of 127

Oh! That's right, I was first in my age group. How's that for a good race?

Now, I'm feeling all kinds of ready for the half-marathon. Just 3 weeks to go!

Thanks for stopping by -- and have a great week!

April miles bring May smiles.

At least that's what I hope.

My mileage was up a bit in April, with several quality long runs. I ran 12 miles by myself at 9:30 pace, 13.2 with friends at 10:20 pace, 10 miles by myself at 9:17 pace, and another 10 miles (7.5 with Bridget and 2.5 by myself) at 9:11 pace.

Solid runs.

Unfortunately, I have not run fast really at all since the Runnin' of the Green race in March. Which probably means that the race I'm popping into tomorrow won't be a PR. And I'm OK with that.

You read that right: I'm popping into a race! I'm running a 10K tomorrow morning and my PR for that distance, set November 2011, is 47:38 (7:40 pace). Man, I used to have some speed!

No matter, I'm not gunning for that time tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'd like to run 8 minute miles, or just under 50 minutes for the full 10K. We'll see what happens.

In the meantime, let's look at what happened last month.

April stats:

Running (miles):  87.3
Races: 0
Cross-training (sessions): 12

No, that's not what was on the schedule (I was planning for more miles) but that's OK. I'm still battling an injury and had to scrap a few runs but, overall, I feel good about how I ran last month.

My hope is that my slowly increasing mileage and longer long runs will mean a decent time in my half-marathon at the end of May. Because, yup, May is race month!! Woo-hoo!

I have about a week left of training before I start my taper for the half-marathon. I'd like this last week to be strong, starting with tomorrow's race.

Now, I'm off to enjoy the weekend. Hope yours is a good one!!

 

All the fun!

It is Spring Break here in upstate New York and that means we're having tons of fun!

For me, it started Saturday morning with a 6-mile run with Bridget, Elisa, Janis and Janis' sister-in-law, Caitlin. Easy run with good friends -- such a good way to start the weekend!

Then, Saturday night, we had Bridget's birthday bash! It started with a little pre-party at her house:

Cheers! (that's me, Bridget and Janis)

And then the actual party was at a fun local bar.

Happy friends celebrating Bidget's 40th!

It was an A+ party, for sure.

On Monday, I took the boys on a "big adventure" to the American Museum of Natural History. I'd planned the trip with my cousin and she and I took our four boys there for the day. With all of the travel and the time at the museum we were together for 12 hours -- and the boys had a blast!

The boys -- ready to go!

Conal, Sean, Ian and Niall hanging out with Theodore Roosevelt.

My boys and the lions.

On Tuesday we were wiped out so we had a hang-out-in-pajamas-and-play kind of day.

Then, Owen's cousin asked him if we wanted to go to the Yankees game on Wednesday. Well. I had to think about that. The boys had never been to a game but it was going to be chilly and we'd had -- and planned to have -- a lot going on this week. Did we need another trip to NYC?

Another big day?

Another day of full-on fun?

Of course we did!

So, we said yes and we had a spectacular day.

Outside the stadium after a fun train ride.

The family at the game! It ended up being perfect weather -- we were so lucky!

The ride home -- the boys were BEAT.

What now? Well, we're going to keep on having all the fun. Why not? Spring Break isn't over yet!

Hope you all are having a great week! Thanks for stopping by.

Random rock star.

When you run 12 solo miles on a random Thursday morning, you feel like a rock star.

True story.

See, it happened to me so I write from experience. Here's what happened: I had 12 miles on the schedule for this weekend. But, as it happens, I have a party to go to Saturday night so I wasn't thrilled about running long that morning -- and I definitely didn't want to run long on Sunday morning!

My Thursday morning was open. My little guy is in school for 2.5 hours and I had no plans. Run, Happy Runner, run! 12 miles would only take 2 hours so the 2.5 hour time slot would be plenty.  Just do it, Happy Runner, just do it!

I listened to that prodding internal voice and decided to go for it. I dropped my son off at school and headed right out -- with a little flair!

http://instagram.com/felicepd

Still love those socks!

Anyway . . . I wanted to run a nice easy pace for the 12 miles. No pressure. I ran over mail roads and hilly country roads. I passed a dead bird, two dead squirrels and -- this was extra gross -- a dead deer.

I also passed by a woman out for a walk. She was older, maybe 70, 75, and was pushing one of those walker things that was, in turn, carrying her oxygen tank. Run, Happy Runner, run! I have NO desire (does anyone?) to end up like that. None whatsoever. Running past her, I felt a little weird. There I was, running free while she was tethered to her oxygen.

Clearly, I will keep running. If it does nothing else for me, I'm sure it is doing good for my lungs!

I also tried out a new gel on this run:

http://instagram.com/felicepd

A few weeks ago, Janis let me try a Honey Stinger when we were out for a run. It was good. I've had problems with gels during my half marathons so I'm looking for something new. When Janis bought a larger supply of them last week, she offered some up to me and I gladly took them. Yesterday, I tried taking them at miles 5 and 10.

I like the taste. They taste like what they are -- vanilla and honey. Yum! And, fortunately, they didn't bother my stomach. Granted, I wasn't running fast but it was a good trial. I plan to try them out again on my next long run, or maybe a faster run so I can see how they'll work on half marathon day!

Now, let's get back to the random Thursday run. I finished with 12 miles in 1:54, or about 9:30 per mile.

http://instagram.com/felicepd

I walked back to my son's school and waited to pick him up, and then we sped home so I could shower, we could eat a little lunch, and we could head over to volunteer in my first-grader's classroom.

As I helped the kids make butter and squeeze orange juice for 2.5 hours, I seriously felt like a rock star. Random Thursday. 12 miles. Still standing to work with a bunch of crazy 6 and 7 year olds.

Yup, rock star.

And now, my weekend is much freer. I like it. I really do.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!