Lovin' the New Schedule

The first week of our new schedule hasn't even come to an end and yet I know that it is a better fit for us. I was able to get my 1st hard run in on Tuesday. Yesterday, I opted to do my 2nd hard run today at the gym rather than swim. Thereby enabling me to run sans the jogger. Missing a 3-4 mile recovery run (or alternate swim practice) is much better than missing a key 8-10 mile tempo workout.

My run on Tuesday was planned to be a 10 mile run with 8 minutes of total uphill time. Since the kiddos weren't accompanying me in the jogger, I opted to run on the river trail rather than the neighborhood roads for a change. As I got underway, my legs/hips were really tight from the long run on Sunday and the hard swim on Monday. The uneven terrain, as well as the afternoon sun, contributed to my decision to stop at 7 miles. I still managed to get in the 8 minutes TUT, however.

Worth noting...

As I was beginning my uphill ascent of a quarter mile hill (I don't know the % grade but it must be a 45-50 degree angle)... another runner came zooming down the hill. Fortunately, I didn't bring along the iPod, so I heard him coming ... otherwise I'm sure we would've collided due to the rocks on either side of the trail that blocked my vision and forced us onto a single track. As it was, I stepped aside to give him the right of way.

We had crossed paths earlier on the other side of the river where he was in a comfortable stride. I noticed then that he had a XC Oregon tshirt. This time however, he was cruising! I'd bet he was doing a sub 4 minute mile pace at this point - recall he was going downhill! I would've been scared s...less. For certain, had I attempted to run all out down this hill, I'd be in the hospital with multiple fractures and broken bones.

There were several other runners on the trail yesterday. Central Oregon is a highly competitive arena for sports enthusiasts. Outdoor recreation is available year-round. Runners, cyclists and other athletes training is a common site throughout the area. The endorphins are high here - and they are contagious. :)

The Name Game

Penny at Just Bloggin' Along tagged me with The Name Game.

The rules: List one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don't have a middle name, use one you would like to have. Tag one person for each letter of your middle name.

Here we go:

Livin' Life - Enjoying all life has to offer; every moment, everyday. Savoring the good. Learning from the bad.

Outgoing - To train for and complete a marathon and then eager to do it again, I'd have to be, right?

Undeterred / Undaunted - I don't give up easily. When I fall, I pick myself up, dust off the dirt and try again. I perservere.

Intelligent - I'm not a member of Mensa, but I do consider myself to be intelligent. I have a Masters degree, can speak Spanish fluently (with practice - I'm out of practice now, though), and love learning... challenging myself.

Spacey - I think abstractly. I forget things easily. I have thereby learned to be very organized. I have lists. I have binders to organize everything: homelife, homeschooling stuff, genealogy, scrapbooking.... you name it.

Elegant - at least, I like to be on occasion. But usually, as a SAHM, I'm relaxed and comfortable in my casual attire. My new Asics 2120s, a pair of running pants, and a techie T - perfect!


So, who would like to play along next? Mom2Amara? Lilli? B!? TeacherWoman?

The Swims, The Runs, The Numbers

I need to do a better job of recording my workouts here ... I haven't posted in regards to training since Sept 10th. May cause some to wonder if I'm still making effort ... :)

Week of Sept 10th

Mon - Masters Swim 2300m [400m w/u; 2x (400m 300m 200m 100m freestyle)]
Tue - Rest
Wed - Masters Swim 1600m [150m w/u; 4x150m medley; 8x50 free; 150m medley; 300m free]
Thr - Recovery 3.5 (With party & garage sale planning - I just didn't have it in me to do more)
Fri - Rest
Sat - Rest
Sun - Long Run 9 miles (w/ jogger; ~11 min total uphill time, avg pace 9:46)

I felt really good during the long run. The return incorporates about 1 mile of uphill and then a few additional hills (short but steep). With the jogger, I am very slow and it brings down my average pace. Yet, I enjoyed the run.

Week of Sept 17th

Mon - Masters Swim 1600m [300m w/u; 3x (4x25m free); 2x (200m free, 150m back, 100m free, 50m back); 100m c/d]
Tue - Rest
Wed - Masters Swim 2100m [750m w/u; 3x (4x25m back); 6x 150m (50 free, 50 back, 50 free)]
Thr - Tempo 8 miles [3 miles @ GP 8:30 => 25.33 / 8:31 avg ; 4x800 @ C 3:37 => ; 3 miles @ T 8:00 => 26.33 / 8:51 ]
Fri - Rest
Sat - 3+ hours of yardwork / fall cleanup - Does this count for cross training???
Sun - Long Run 12 miles (ran portions of hills at Brookswood & Powers 2x, avg pace 8:54)

This would have been a great week except I skipped one of my key runs! It is very hard for me to squeeze all 3 of my key runs (speed, tempo & long) into the last half of the week (Wed-Sun). I have been trying to re-arrange my schedule so the kiddos and I do living history on Wed instead of Tues. I got a call Fri morning from another volunteer willing to swap with me so I'm good for next week.

I also worked out a swap with a neighbor so I'll be able to run sans jogger on Tuesdays. I've also decided to do my Thursday run at the gym so I can utilize the treadmill if desired (easier for speed work)... also freeing me from the jogger.

So my schedule should look like this at least through December:

Mon - Swim
Tue - Run @ Home in afternoon (kids w/ neighbor)
Wed - Living History, maybe a short recovery run if up to it w/ jogger
Thr - Run @ gym in morning (kids @ Kids Corner)
Fri - Swim ??
Sat - Rest
Sun - Long Run

Activities for the kiddos:

Mon - Swim (preceding my workout), Library, Karate and other errands (after workout)
Tue - Playdate w/neighbor girls, Karate ??, Nature Walk
Wed - Living History, Karate
Thr - Playdate w/neighbor girls, Karate ??
Fri - Homeschool Coop gatherings/field trips
Sat - ??
Sun - ??

I've always tried to plan our excursions, appointments, and errands so that we can stay at home at least one day each week. It looks like I have the flexibility to do that on Tues or Thr depending on what is happening. If it works out to stay home more than one day - bonus!

Paper Back Swap

Are you buried beneath a pile of books that you've read long ago? Are you of need of more space?



All you have to do is register (it's free) and create a list of books that you are willing to trade. When one or more of your books are requested, you pay the shipping (generally about $1.47 - $2.53) and receive one credit for each paperback book that you send.

To receive a book in return, browse through the lists of available books and request one of interest. One credit will be deducted from your account. The owner thereby sends it to you. You don't pay for shipping to receive a book.

If you sign-up and list 10 books before October 5th, you'll earn 3 credits. Thereafter, you'll earn just 2 credits. If you join, please use my email address as a referral.

bud underscore eva at hotmail dot com

A Magical Fairy Adventure

This past week has been a whirlwind of activity.

• Monday ~ Masters, library, grocery shopping, other errands & Taekwondo.
• Tuesday ~ 1880s & Taekwondo.
• Wednesday ~ Masters, Taekwondo & homeschool co-op potluck.
• Thursday was jam-packed with last minute preparations for Sweetie's 5th birthday. Yet, I did manage to get a quick 3.5 mile recovery run in - although it served more as recovery from the stress of 'party planning' than to recover from strenuous workouts... I skipped both of my 'hard' workouts for the week (2x3 miles @Tempo and 4x800 & 4x400 @SI).
• Friday ~ prep for garage sale, homeschool park outing, grocery shopping, errands and Chamber dinner.
• Saturday ~ garage sale, 2 trips to Goodwill, re-organized my school stuff in the garage, moped around the house in frustration of not running & poor result of garage sale
  
• Sunday ~ long run (9 miles, 5 shy of plan due to time constraints - I really need to stop slacking; At the rate I'm going, I'll be lucky to PR let alone BQ), kiddos and I met Mom, Richard and my niece and nephew at Crescent Lake for a picnic.

As I eluded to in an earlier post, Sweetie wanted a fairy themed party and so we jumped online to gather ideas. We came across several that we liked bits and pieces of and so we decided to take the best of each and create our own, using the movie The Last Unicorn as our storyline.

Most of the children at the party were girls and thereby came dressed as fairy princesses. The boys came as they are and so we imagined them as wizards and elves.

Sweetie long ago informed me that she wanted to be Sunburst from the Fairytopia movie, Magic of the Rainbow. I managed to put together her costume with minimal investment. She loved the end result and looked adorable. Twice, I attempted to make orange wings but failed to obtain the right gauge wire. When I informed Sweetie of my struggle, she said, "That's okay. Some fairies don't have wings. The other fairies that have wings carry them when they fly. That's really cool. I don't need wings. They just get in the way anyway." What a trooper!!

As the kids arrived, they played on the play structures and a few worked on creating their talisman pendants (plastic shrink film). Shortly after everyone arrived, I asked the kids to join me near the gazebo or 'Cave'. I then introduced myself as the 'Wise Butterfly' and read them the story of the 'Red Bull and the Last Unicorn'. I informed them that the creatures of the enchanted forest were relying on them to help save the unicorn, whom was locked away in the cave. They would have to work together to solve problems and battle the bull's minions.

I assigned tasks or roles to everyone and the quest was underway. (Upon arrival, I had also assigned roles for the adults - most of whom facilitated an activity station so that I could lead the kids along the course and keep everyone on task and motivated.) The kids were very engaged throughout the entire 'quest' and all reported they had a good time.

There were 8 activity stations each with a unique challenge or task that required the kids to work together. The most exciting challenge was encountering giant spiders in the forest and crawling through the sticky web. Just as the kids got through, they met up with a scary dragon (Buddy dressed in his dragon costume from Halloween '06). The kids asked the Fauns for help to lull the dragon to sleep by playing music on imaginary instruments and singing. Another favorite was the battle with the Swamp Monsters (the dads) to win back the Dwarves' tools. We needed more time to decorate our weapons but alas we had to move quickly. Another favorite for the kids was getting escorted across the river on Pegasus (piggy back on a dad) - but aiding the foals (balloons) to a protected cave proved more tricky than anticipated (it was rather windy and the foals didn't want to stay sheltered).

The quest was completed in about an hour and we then converged back to the gazebo for birthday cake and the obligatory singing of "Happy Birthday." I had brought candles along but by the time they all got seated, the kids were eager to eat. Sweetie and others and already begun to eat their cake before I even had time to think of the candles so we skipped that part.

To create a more magical, fairy-like ambiance, the party began just before dusk with twinkling lights adorning the gazebo. It was beginning to get chilly though, so as the kids were finishing up their cake, I handed out goodie bags (Tinkerbell cards, Tinkerbell craft activity, and Pixie Sticks for the girls / the boys' bags were slightly different) and thanked them for coming. They were also allowed to take home their champagne flutes (with which they were served Mango Nectar for strength by the Tree Spirits upon capturing the trolls) and their enchanted weapons (girls - flower wands / boys - plastic bow, rubber-suction tipped arrow & shield).

We cleaned things up quickly (Thank you, Deb & Steve - you guys are awesome!) and were home in our PJs by 8:30. Of course, Sweetie wanted to open her gifts immediately when we got home. It was nice to slow that part of the celebration down and to really appreciate each gift, the giver and the thought that went into their choice of gift. It was so fun to watch her expression and to r wereecord actual quotes of excitement and appreciation.


side notes ~

Submitted to Giveaway: Party Time! at Crazy Hip Blog Mamas on the 14th of November 2007; sponsored by Projector123.com.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Fairy Party - I'd be happy to share. :D

For Hot Husband

Donald's latest post (re: a charity bike ride and after party with Cheap Trick) inspired me to find this song... I've posted it here to celebrate my love for my husband, my best friend, my love.

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Birthdays, Halloween & Costumes

Sweetie's birthday party is this Thursday. For months now, she and I have been planning a fairy themed party around the movie, The Last Unicorn. We've created a storyline whereby the children (as fairies and wizards) go on a quest to save the unicorn. We've planned activity stations requiring the children to work together and fight against evil. We've gathered materials for each station; for snacks and for prizes.

We even designed and spent hours putting together a fairy costume. She wanted to be Sunburst from the Fairytopia movie. Not Elina... the star of the movie but her sidekick. I couldn't find a Sunburst costume anywhere so we have had to put one together using skill and creativity. It's still in the works, however (I have to finish the wings). I'll post photos when she wears it for the first time at her party.

In three weeks, we will be taking a family vacation to Disneyland. While there, we will be attending Mickey's Halloween Treat Party where families are encouraged to come dressed in costume. Sweetie is already talking about buying a fancy princess dress when we get there. She has been saving her money all summer in anticipation!

So - you will understand my surprise this afternoon when we are driving home from Karate and she informs me that she has decided, without a doubt, that she wants to be Aku (the shape shifting master of darkness from the animated television show, Samurai Jack) for Halloween because, "Halloween is supposed to be all scary and stuff."

HUH? I can't believe she is into the scary stuff already?! Yesterday, she and her brother would've spent hours squealing and giggling at the animated skeleton at Michaels, had I not picked them up and walked out to the car with them under my arms.

Don't get me wrong. I love the idea. I suggested that Buddy could dress as Samurai Jack. She thought this was great. "He can wear my old Karate uniform (sans patches)!"

So... I guess I'll need to find a recipe for papier-mâché and start work on another costume. Wish me luck. :)

Back in Form

Yesterday's long run was great. I pumped up the tires in the jogger and headed out with the kiddos around 10 a.m. (DH was flying RC planes with his buddies). My only expectation or goal for the day was to cover 10 miles. My focus now is stamina... not pace.

As I wasn't really looking forward to the run I decided to bring my cell phone along and give my mom a call. I put her on speaker phone and it worked great! She could hear me fine and could hear the kiddos on the occasion they interjected their thoughts. Only one time, I hit a bump and the phone bounced out. I ended up talking with her for nearly 5 miles and it certainly took my mind off the run. :)

The return route involved a 1 mile long hill - not very steep but certainly takes effort with the jogger. We stopped at the park just as we got underway on this hill (I had promised the kiddos we could stop so they could play - of the 4 parks we pass on our route - this was the one they wanted) for about 15 minutes. I used the time to rehydrate. I should have brought a gel along but had forgotten so I called my mother-in-law instead. :)

We arrived home about 2 hours after we had departed. We had a couple brief stops (to play at the park, to retrieve the cell phone, to watch a squirrel, etc.) and I stopped my watch on each occassion. Therefore, my average pace was 10:19. I'm very pleased with that considering the funk I've been in with my hip.

OH!!! My hip didn't make a peep - I felt strong the entire way! Yippee! I feel I'm back in form. Just in time too, as CIM is just 12 weeks away. I can't keep taking it easy. :)

~~~

My swim today was awesome! I arrived with time enough to do a 400 m warmup: 2x (100m free, 50m back, 50m breast). Then I got started on the day's plan (Coach Bob is still on vacation so his plan is posted on the cabinet): 2x (400m, 300m, 200m, 100m). I didn't have the time to do the last 100m but I figured 2300m for the day was awesome in itself. :)

Now I just need to be sure to do my tempo and speedwork this week. It is a busy week (Sweetie's birthday party, Homeschool Co-op Potluck, Chamber dinner, Karate, 1880 volunteer obligation, etc.) so I'll have to stay focused.

A Great Swim Workout

The past couple of weeks I've been in a bit of a slump. I've felt discouraged by my pace on many training runs. I've been frustrated with a nagging hip pain. As a result, as runs have been cut short and I've opted to walk portions, my stamina has begun to decline. The funny thing is I've noticed many of my favorite runner/bloggers are going through similar slumps. This certainly makes it easier - knowing I'm not alone.... knowing that I just need to keep plugging away.

I met Deb at the pool today for Masters. The coaches are on vacation so we had to rely on ourselves to complete the workout as posted on the board. I actually prefer it this way, on occasion, because fewer people actually come to practice. Deb and I had the lane to ourselves!

400m warmup (medley)
2 x 25m fly (it was supposed to be 16 x 25m but my butterfly really stinks ... at least I gave a little effort)
8 x 50m back
4 x 100m breast
2 x 200m free
1 x 400m medley (subbed free for fly)
2050m total (~ 5.12 running miles)

Great workout! We've focused so much on freestyle over the summer which is my best stroke. Today forced me to work different muscle groups and it felt great! I may actually try adding another day of swimming into the mix until my hip works itself out. We'll see. I'm hoping, however, that I can float on today's positive energy through the weekend and have a great long run come Sunday. :)

Doctor Visit

Good news. I had an appointment with my regular physician this morning. After a short discussion, he sent me across the hall to get an x-ray of my hip. The x-ray didn't show arthritis or a fracture of any kind. As it has been getting better over time with some rest and decreased mileage, neither of us have been too concerned. I want to continue to train for CIM, however, so he therefore suggested that I see a physical therapist. He wrote a 'prescription' with "hip flexor sprain" diagnosis for insurance purposes and sent me on my way.

I had had a discussion with a friend at BarCon (B!) who informed me of a colleague he knew who had similiar discomfort. He couldn't remember exactly but thought that she had seen a chiropractor or reflexologist who massaged pressure points and the pain was alleviated. I've seen a reflexologist once before while I was living in Mexico - I was impressed and intrigued then. I'd be willing to give it ago again... what could a more specialized massage, one which focused upon particular pressure points, hurt?

On another note, I also decided to invest in a new pair of shoes. I had about 400 miles on my 3rd pair of Nike Trail Alvords (which I've been able to acquire for about $35-43 at Freddy's). I got to thinking that perhaps it is my shoes! I therefore had the salesman/runner at Footzone evaluate my walk as he asked questions about my running history, etc. He suggested Asics 2120 and a pair of Mizuno (?)... neither were very friendly to my budget, but I liked the look (very important!) and the feel of the Asics so that's what I went home with.

With my new treads and the jogger, I did a 3.6 mile easy run last night. I like how they feel on my feet... very comfortable. My toes weren't tender afterwards but I continue to struggle with my stamina. What has happened? Just a month ago, I did 18.6 miles without a problem. Now I struggle to cover 4?! I'm becoming a little frustrated.

Before last nights easy 3.6, I had run only once since Thursday of last week (30th). BarCon kept me busy and then I had an upset stomach for much of the weekend. I know I just ate too much - the food is soooo good!!! I didn't get my long run in... but did Tuesday's planned run on Monday. DH pulled the kiddos in the buggy with his bike and I pushed myself to complete 8 miles.

According to my plan, I should do another 8 or so today (2 at GP, 4 at T, 2 at GP). Yet, it is nearly 3 p.m. - so I'll have to do it this evening. Fortunately, DH is working late so this it is entirely possible. We'll see what happens.

BarCon Wrap-up

Wow! The weekend really flew by... as we were driving West over Santiam Pass, DH says to me, "Just think, in a few days we will be driving home and we'll say to one another, 'I can't believe how fast the weekend passed. It feels like we were driving the other direction just a few short hours ago.'" So true!

We had an absolute blast! Without a doubt this was the BarCon to top them all! I've uploaded a few of my favorite photos. Of course, these are just those from our camera ... there were at least 4 cameras floating around and we generally pool all together for a commeorative photo archive. In 2005, there were over 300 images!! Certainly making my job as 'group scrapbooker' a difficult one. :)

There were many memorable moments and everything flowed very smoothly (we've all learned a lot over the years). The kids behaved relatively well (my little buddy had a few moments where he aggravated our nerves - but he is just 2 years old) and we all enjoyed ourselves. This year, we had a Youth Activities Director whom helped to keep the kiddos entertained thereby enabling the adults to Bar-ticipate a little more in the gaming. :)

I won a game of Carcassone (one of my favorite) and DH won a strongly contested Battle Bowl tournament. Sweetie enjoyed rolling the dice for many games and was eager to learn how to play the games - you can bet she'll be more involved next year. Buddy enjoyed the dirt outside more than anything. :)

This year also saw the first 'fun run' - which I hosted (thereby I didn't run). I learned a lot this time and all can be assured it will return. I had purchased only 5 medals so I had to be a little creative in how I awarded them. Sweetie and Buddy both bar-ticipated... Sweetie was the first of 2 females and while Buddy was the last to cross the finish line, it could be argued he had the most fun. Kong (the only other female to run), whom ran alongside him and even carried him a while, reported that at one point he ran into a bush, fell on his bootie, got back up, punched the bush and said, "Funny." Too cute! :)

We'll see you again next year!

BarCon 2008 - "The Good, The Bad and The BarCon"