Retirement

I'm retiring this blog.

Really.

I'm not retiring from running, but I no longer wish to write about it.

I'll probably start some kind of other personal blog in wordpress, but other than updating with the link to my new blog, I no longer plan to write here.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for your comments. Until we see each other again...

What do you do?

Something clicked today. I didn't necessarily get a ton of sleep last night. I didn't have a to-do list to follow. Somehow, I have managed to be uber-productive today. What do I do all day? First and foremost, I take care of Brody. I make sure all of his needs are met. Beyond that, I try to do as much as I can to better our household by taking care of the housework, the shopping errands, and then take a few minutes to myself (think simple things like snack/lunch/computer time/bathroom)

Here is a typical productive day (not a running day today) -

I woke up before Brody, showered and got ready. I ate a healthy breakfast just in time to watch him wake up over the monitor.

During Brody's morning awake hours, we did our regular routine things like feed/change diaper/play, but we also took a quick trip to the grocery to take care of that errand during the cool hours of the day.

During first nap, I resolved to feed myself and then tackle as many chores as possible. A load and a half of laundry cleaned and put away, vacuumed downstairs, swept downstairs, dusted staircase (it is entirely wood and was full of cat fur and dust bunnies in the corners), cleaned downstairs toilets, and one sleepy baby meant for a long productive naptime. Hurray for both Brody and me! The extra time doing chores means that I am finished with Tuesday's chores as well, so tomorrow I can devote time to fun things for me while Brody sleeps!! I have a craft/sewing project I'm working on as well as some plants that I need to pot.

During Brody's early afternoon awake time, we did the normal eat/change/play routine, but then also made a trip down to Barton Creek Mall to take care of an errand.

Now Brody is taking his afternoon nap and I continued the laundry, potted a few indoor plants, had a snack, and now am enjoying some computer time because I'm ahead on the chores.

The rest of the evening will include feed/change/play with Brody, a walk to the park swings, preparing and eating dinner, picking up things while Chad does Brody's bath, then put Brody down for the night. It will be about 8pm when that happens and then Chad and I will have an hour or two before I get tired and want to go to sleep.

Most days are like today, but we trade in a library storytime, visits from friends and family, and some days I sneak in a run in the morning. Some days Brody sleeps 2-3 hours total for naps. Some days it is only about an hour and a half total, which means I barely have time to prepare my own lunch, a snack, and possibly fit in an easy chore or two before I turn back into caregiver for the next several hours.

Good times! I am a lucky woman.

My First Mother's Day

I'm a lucky woman. Today is Mother's Day and not only do I have the most wonderful husband and baby to share it with, I got to have a day much like other weekends. Chad and Brody make me feel special most days, so today wasn't any different in that respect.

When asked what I wanted to do for Mother's Day, there were only a few specific requests I could think of - After Brody was awake for the day, Chad handled all of the diaper changes. I was able to get a run in by myself (meaning without the stroller) and have some time to take my shower and get ready without having to worry about the B-man. I also got to help out with bath time, part of Brody's routine that Chad typically gets. I just love lathering Brody's little scalp with shampoo and pouring water on him.

Other things that I got today that were bonus - Chad made my breakfast for me, surprised me with cards from both Brody and him, had a nice mommy present for me, and took us to lunch (including a girly drink, hurray!).

And a special surprise - I was able to take an hour nap for the second day in a row. Double hurray!

I feel loved and special.

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there, whether your children are grown and have children of their own or whether you are waiting to meet your child. To the Moms in my life, thank you for your example and advice. Thank you for being a part of this mothering community that helps me laugh through the hard times and reminds me to cherish the moments that go by all too fast.

Running Stuff

I ran a 5k. First 5k and first real race since Portland in 2009. I put it on Facebook and blogged about it for Brody, so I figured most of you readers here probably don't need to know much more about it.

Not sure about my official time, but my watch read 28:30-ish. I know I was 9th in my age group and either 3rd or 4th stroller overall (1st place female stroller-pusher for sure). The race should have had a stroller division. I would have liked winning a prize. I'm proud of my new stroller PR. My goal was to break 30 minutes and I did it with plenty of time to spare.

Each week I'm running 4-5 days with one of the days being a gym day where I run between other stuff like lunges and weights. My long run is still somewhere between 4-5 miles and 45-50 minutes. Go me.

Quoting a Friend

My friend blogs here about life as a runner, movie fan, book reader, and state government employee (which I used to know exactly what he did, but I can't remember the specifics other than it is related to budgets and spending...sorry Keith!!)

His closing thoughts yesterday are worth repeating here.

"I think it is worth noting that while the Republicans are having a ball telling anyone who will listen that they were elected with a mandate to come to Austin and slash "excessive state spending that has run-amok and gotten us into this mess," it was the Republican party that created the situation we are in now. This is not a partisan statement, it is simple fact. The Republican party has controlled every aspect of Texas state government for more than 15 years. President Bush, then Governor, lead the Republican party to landslide wins in Texas in 1995 (after a decade of party building), and since that time the Republicans have controlled statewide leadership offices, the Governor's office, and the legislature. So I leave you with this thought: If 15 years of Republican dominated political leadership culminated in a $26 billion statewide deficit (the largest in history), why did voter's believe the solution could be found in electing a Republican super majority (or very close to one)?"

Conquering Doubt

"Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt."

-William Shakespeare

I did not fear to attempt a long run sans-baby stroller this morning. I was full of self-doubt, but I forged ahead. I'm proud to say that at my designated 2-mile turnaround point I felt great and did not turn around. My body found the running groove that I feared lost to pregnancy and motherhood. Nope. The runner's high, the moment that your brain clicks with endorphins and you feel as if you could run forever, hit me and I settled into it like an easy chair. Ah...my long lost friend.

4.66 miles in 47:00

new distance and time PR for running without any walking

I'm awesome.

New writing

I couldn't figure out exactly what I wanted to do about this blog and posts about Brody. As of today, I am putting true Brody-related posts on his own blog. The intention of that blog is to be like a baby book or diary, where I record things that happen in our daily life for Brody. It will be written to him.

If you are interested go here.