…”this life is more than just a read through”

My gosh, I have been straight out - again. I guess it is part of having three children that have school and activities, which in turn gives Mom lots, and lots of obligations. Along with all of the end of the school year stuff that needs to be wrapped up, there are Dr. appointments, neighborhood Association meetings to hold, blah blah blah. I don’t know if I am coming or going. All this with my husband not home during the week. Who the heck can find even a half hour to work out. I know - excuses, excuses.

But tell me, is it normal to wake up with back pain? Just when I think my back is better, I wake up in pain. I don’t think it is my mattress, I love my mattress, it is a Tempurpedic. It is like sleeping on a little piece of playdough. So, I am not sure if I have not done something beyond a muscle pull. This has been what like three weeks now.

Next week when school has ended and we are not on such a rigid schedule, I am going to try to start doing some easy stretches, get back into the beginners pilates and do some easy walking on the mill (or even with the kids outside). That is the plan stan.

I am no longer a treadmill virgin! And neither are my running shoes! I, for the first time EVER, ran outside. If you could see where I live, you would say “why don’t you always run outside?” It is so beautiful, we are in the deep woods & there is a beautiful stretch of dirt road - 1 mile down, 1 mile back. I was compelled for reasons unknown to do this on a day that the temp is forecasted to be 98 degrees and the humidity level is 66%. I don’t know how you people that live in Florida or other hot climates function in general, never mind train outside! I think reading the blogs of certain ladies who live in FL, and completed their 1st Tri this weekend gave me the push that I needed.

So, I pack a peanut butter sandwich for each child, juice boxes and a big MAG flashlight to beat anything attacking me (be it a rapist or a black bear). I go down to the garage with the knowledge that the tires on the double jogger need inflating. I turn on the air compressor (yes I actually know how to run my husband’s air compressor!) and pull the hose out to the garage, kick a small inner tube out of the way and go to pull the jogger out. Then I realize that the inner tube I kicked out of the way belonged inside the tire of the jogger. Damn! So, o.k., then we will walk the whole thing and the 4 year old will have to hoof it the whole 2 miles. I go next door, to get pepper spray from my neighbor and she offers to watch the 4 year old. O.k. back to the plan of running. Well, we live on the top of a hill, I prefer to say a mountain, it sucks since if you chose to take a right or left out of our street, either way it is up-hill on the return. The return has two big hills, I would say the second hill is about an incline of a 5 or 6 on the treadmill, you are completely leaning forward to get up the hill. I ran/walked (mostly tied to run the donwhill parts), I felt like I was going to die. I never realized how much my hands sweat while I run, so trying to push the jogger was hard. I am also used to getting propulsion from swinging my arms, which you can’t do while pushing the jogger. I think I will do it next time when my husband is home and I don’t have to bring anyone with me. I had one scary van drive by, he slowed and kept braking after he passed me. It was of course on the up-hill and I thought to myself, I would not be able to run to save my life right now if I had to! Then I kept thinking I was hearing rustling in the woods. You know the classic situation, when you hear something and then you stop and the sound stops. At one point I stopped and was spraying myself with bug spray to cool off! So, be it a paranoid, hot and muggy run/walk - I did it. I now know that I can run without a moving belt beneath my feet! The baby enjoyed the time in the woods with mom! Considering I haven’t run in weeks, I am pretty pleased with myself.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/10/2008
• Time: 09:00:00
• Total Time: 00:35:00.00
• Calories: 350
• Distance: 2.4 miles
• Average Pace: 14:35.91/mile

Did about 20 mins of upper body work lifting the baby (32 lbs.) up out of the pool so that he could then jump in again. He will do this for hours at a time and I have to lift him up above my head to get him out of the pool. Good arm workout!

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 06/08/2008
• Time: 14:00:00
• Total Time: 00:20:00.00

Well, didn’t get the walk or run in, but at least I did the pilates. My blog stats are back up (gee, wonder why?). Tomorrow: running in the nude, ha ha!!!! Hope it made someone laugh, besides Brad : ^ )! The visual is just too much, bleeeccccchhhh!

did the 20 min. easy workout - back feels great. maybe a brisk walk on the treadmill this aft. for a little cardio.

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 06/06/2008
• Time: 10:30:00
• Total Time: 00:20:00.00

Ha ha, not really! Man, my blog stats have flat lined, so I thought an exciting tag line would up those a bit! Sorry, it’s not something I would ever do - or at least not blog about it! Anyways, my back is feeling MUCH better and I will attempt to do the pilates video this a.m. It feels almost 100%, I can at least bend over and pick things up off of the floor without vocalizing. Yet another rainy day - a “yard work” rest day for the back.

I am so psyched, today we cleared a patch of lawn and built a frame for a new veggie garden in the yard. The bed is a somewhat manageable size at 5′x10′ - it is just enough, anything more becomes a burden. I will plant the veggies tomorrow: tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, s. squash, and a pumpkin plant to grow over the edge. Sounds like a lot when I list it out. I think I will only be putting in two plants of each. I always over crowd when I plant, be it perennials or veggies. So psyched, there is nothing like the feeling of growing and harvesting your own food. It is very empowering.

What a workout though, either I am still sore from the softball tournament or the digging, stooping and banging out of clumps of sod! Phew!

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 06/01/2008
• Time: 14:30:00
• Total Time: 00:03:00.00