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August 25, 2010

WiW: Week 22

Weight: 147.8

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 23.5

I finally got back up to a 40 minute run! By the end of last week, when I had failed miserably once to make my 40, I was starting to wonder if I'd ever be able to pull it off. Making my goal on Friday mattered way more for me mentally than physically.

Of course, now I have no more excuses.

For the first time in I can't even remember how long, the temperature was under 100 today. And not just a little under, 20 degrees under. I had grand dreams of how easy that was going to make tonight's run, and how much farther I might be able to go, just because of the cool.

Ouch.

I wouldn't say tonight's run was any harder, but I'm not sure it was much easier, either. I was less hot, and I'm not still sweating my hiney off and hour after I got home, but I didn't feel like I could run forever, either.

How do people run forever?

Posted by me at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2010

Last gasp

Well, our last blast of summer was certainly memorable.

We went to a Great Wolf Lodge nearby in Grapevine. We thought it would be great for all three kids, since it looked like it had something for everyone. And it's all indoors, so no sweating like a horse, slathering ourselves in sunscreen and trying to escape the sun. On top of that, they have some indoor activities that aren't water related, so when we got all pruney there would be something to do besides sit in the room and watch tv.

Our first afternoon started out well. The water was a tad chilly, but the kids were getting a kick out of the whole place. Sure, the girls weren't interested in any but the smallest slides, and Owen freaked out going down one of the infant pool slides and never went down another before we left, but overall they just love being wet. After a couple hours, I had a bit of a headache from the humidity or the chemicals or just because I'm me. Rex took the girls out to find cheap snacks and dinner, and I took Owen to our room for a much needed nap. We spent the evening on a rather confusing high tech scavenger hunt (during which Jamie tripped or misjudged or something and went chin first into a giant window), took in some ice cream, the clock tower show and storytime, and headed to bed. The kids were out cold post haste.

This is where I would normally start complaining about how early the kids got us up, but the
fire alarms beat us to it. At 5:15, strobes started going off in the bedroom, with that annoying fire alarm sound and a recording asking us to escape through the nearest exit. We spent an hour outside, wondering what was going on, and nearly another hour waiting in the lobby restaurant waiting for the all clear to go back to our room. We never saw any evidence of fire, unless you count the long line of fire trucks and the fans on the first floor blowing out a smoke-machine-scented haze.

We spent a couple hours "resting," which is code for "Rex and I dozed while the kids watched PBS." Rex took our stuff out to the car while I checked out, and then we hit the water park again. We were comped breakfast for our "trouble," but since we had already eaten, we had an early lunch of breakfast all over again. Rex ran out to the van to get some cash for a tip, where he found out back window shattered, but still mostly intact. Sure, why not? Might as well get this months crap all over with in one day. I called our insurance, but our deductible is way more than the cost of a new window, so I locked our valuables in the floor storage and went back in for a few more hours at the water park (the girls actually rode the big slides, although Katie was the only one who really enjoyed them). We were about done anyway when Jamie had some kind of teary meltdown, so we headed out to the van to clear the largest part of the glass out of the window and head home.

I wouldn't exactly put this down as our best family vacation, but in spite of everything that happened, I wouldn't call it a bust, either. I think the kids had fun, the room was nice, the towels (in the room, anyway) were nice and fluffy, and the waterpark was fun, in good shape and had enough different activities to keep us all entertained.

Overall, a win.

Posted by me at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)

August 18, 2010

WiW: Week 21

Weight: 147.6

Waist: 30.5
Hips: 37.5
Thigh: 23.5

It's still hot. I got back up to 35 minutes last week, and told myself that I could ease off for a run if I felt like it, and then do my first 40 minute run since the vacation on Wednesday. I went ahead and did a short run on Monday (with my best pace since I recalibrated!), since I didn't get back from a PTA meeting until 10pm, and figured I'd be all rested and refreshed to do the full 40 Wednesday (today).

Two problems.

One, we aren't going to be home tonight, since we're taking the kids to Great Wolf Lodge for a last hurrah.

Two, I solved problem one by running this morning. But I was dragging. I mean DRAGGING. By the time I got to 20 minutes, I was starting to wheeze and my legs were numb like I was finishing a marathon. Or at least, a much longer run, since I don't know what a marathon feels like. I went ahead and cut short, which was a shame because now I'm going to feel guilty about it, and because it was nice and overcast and who knows when that will happen again. And naturally, the temperature has dropped since I got home, and it's even rained a little.

The plan is to do that 40 minute run on Friday. My plan is also to have a great time with my kids, and enjoy our last days of freedom.

I'm determined to achieve both.

Posted by me at 10:53 AM | Comments (0)

August 11, 2010

WiW: Week 20

Weight: 147.8

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 23.5

I'm not even sure what to say anymore. I put on a pair of pants that fit beautifully last October, and my thighs looked like overstuffed sausages topped off by a portobello sized mushroom cap.

I was (sort of) ok with not having lost any weight, because I could see that I was a little more toned and my one pair of go-to shorts got the tiniest bit looser. In my (highly deluded, apparently) mind, I was 10 pounds heavier but basically the same size as last fall.

That's nearly as disappointing as when I calibrated my Nike+ and realized how far off my distances really were.

In happier news, I'm picking up distance pretty quickly after my vacations. By next week, I'll be back up to where I was when I took off. The temperatures have been in the low to mid-90's, which I think has been the hardest part of getting back into running. I've started carrying an ice pack to try to keep cool, and I've come to the conclusion that a run without sprinklers probably isn't worth running.

Posted by me at 1:53 PM | Comments (0)

August 5, 2010

WiW: Week 19

Weight: 149.0

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

So the workout thing hasn't been going so well.

Life, on the other hand, has been going along quite well.

I got one workout in two weeks ago, between returning from Maryland an leaving for St. Lucia. I also managed a Scentsy party, a girls night and a ton of errands that included a successful clothes shopping trip.

Then I spent a booze and food filled week of fun and relaxation in St. Lucia. There was sitting without interruption, sleeping in, doing nothing, ziplining and golf. And when I got home, I was no heavier than I was when I left. Sure I was crazy bloated when I left, but I still consider it a success.

The real problem has been since I got home. It's hot here. And I don't mean a little hot, I mean well over 100 during the day, and still in the mid 90's at 10pm, which is sort of my cut off for how late I'll run. I did one daytime run, and I've sworn that I'll run tomorrow, no matter how hot it is. I have GOT to get back on track.

(Yes I could run in the morning and it would be cooler. No, I still don't see any way to convince myself to get out of bed a minute earlier than the kids make me.)

Have I mentioned I finally signed up for a race? A 5K, in late September. I was totally ready for a race three weeks ago, but now I feel like I may almost have to start from scratch.

Also, I'm still kicking around the idea of a half marathon in early December. I'd need to start training for that uh, now, but the first run are 4, 4 and 6 miles, so I need to get back to where I was before I can think about that kind of schedule.

Posted by me at 12:28 PM | Comments (1)