Babies, Books, 2 Runs, and MEDALS!

I live in a kids' playroom. Shopping in stores (other than groceries) is pretty impossible, so we get our goods via Amazon, and from these orders was borne a great box fort. Each new shipment yields a new addition. It's pretty awesome. Except it sets off my Clutter Alarm, and there really isn't a "place" for a three-room box fort other than the middle of our busiest room. So, there it will stay. Until Bug discovers she can climb on it.

While on maternity leave, I have been a frequent fixture at the library. I have read a lot of great books, especially in the first weeks when Bee slept 95% of the time and I was too sore to do much other than sit. The reading dwindles as she falls into a more distinct sleep/awake schedule and is more alert. I was reading:

It's a really great read, by the way. I totally recommend it. Anyway, I was into the first quarter of this book when I got an email from the library that this book:

was due in 5 days. I checked these both out at the same time, except they only gave me a week for The Paris Wife. So, I've abandoned Mr. Bourdain for the moment and am now loving The Paris Wife. Five days are up, the book is due today, and I am nowhere near giving it up. And I can't renew it because it's a new book. So, slap the fines on me, Library. I ain't rushing this one. (Seriously though, this book makes me want to go and read everything that Hemingway ever wrote).

Personal Training got cancelled on Monday due to Erica having a stomach bug. To make up for it, I ran a 5k in 36 min. Yesterday, Mom came over and I ran a quick 2 miles. I really didn't feel like running. I knew that Casey of 5 months ago would have seriously clocked me in the jaw for not running, so I ran. It's not like I was sore or anything, just a feeling like, "Ooooh, I don't really want to get all sweaty..." Boy, am I glad I ran. Not only was it a good hill workout, but the weather was fantastic. I didn't even leave my little neighborhood and was only 5 minutes from my house no matter where I was in case Little Bee had an unsolvable meltdown (she didn't--my mom is that good at Babies). Beyond all that good stuff, the weather is getting ridiculous. It's going to be 91 today and then progressively hotter til Sunday when it will rain and then (cue the trumpets) on my birthday and beyond, the high will be in the 70s. Yeah. Amazing weather is on the way.

Amped up on good running vibes, I have been looking up races for the spring. I have discovered that it is all about the medal. I don't care if you give me another tech shirt to put in my closet next to all of the other free ill-fitting tech shirts I have gotten from races--if I don't have a medal it's basically like I didn't run a race. So, when a very local race advertises "unique finisher's prizes", I'm skeptical. I even wrote the race director to ask what previous years' "unique finisher's prizes" were and have not received a response. Medals, people. I want MEDALS. I even wish you could get a few medals to give to the people that helped you get there. I would need one for each of my parents, mother- and father-in-law, and Oliver for making it so I can even get out the door to run and one for the girls because they are part of the reason why I run. Beyond losing pregnancy weight, I want them to SEE me running and having fun so they have in their heads that being healthy doesn't have to be a chore. So. I guess I need a fistful of medals for a race to be "worthy" of running.

PS the formatting of this post is bizarre and I have no idea how to fix it! sorry! :)

Walking w/ Little Big. Usain Bolt.

Cowlady Little Big Bug

"Little Big" is my Dad's nickname for Bug. I think it fits. She's in that stage immediately after "baby" dissolved and revealed a little "kid". It's only sad when I look back at photos and can see how much she's changed. Mostly, less chubs and more hair. And taller. Her vocabulary has exploded. Seriously. It's shocking to see her starting to piece everything together after so much time observing. This week she has said (for the first time): I shy, I cute, I pretty, I girl, I smart, pump (breast pump), walk, park and bink (binkie--yeah, she still uses one and we have no immediate plans of changing that. Everyone needs a comfort thing and she's not allowed to smoke).

So, Little Big Bug and I took a walk this morning and O got to spend some time with Bee. Bee has just entered that point of infanthood where she's alert and responsive. It's very adorable. I've gotten some cheeky smiles this weekend that made my heart explode a trillion times. Also, since she's on more of a schedule, I can feed her and leave her with someone without worrying too much about her having to take a bottle. This wasn't a big deal with Bug since she was just happy to eat; Bee is more particular and lets you know it.

Smirky Bee

Anyway, Bee stayed with O and was awake the whole time so they got a chance to see each other.

Bug and I just walked. I had two good runs this week and I thought one more could leave me too sore for personal training tomorrow. Even though the Garmin was on, it was nice to not worry about distance/time and just enjoy being with my girl. We walked by the candy store that sells (sold) my jelly and saw that they are in the process of closing. I have about 14 jars of jelly somewhere in the packed boxes, but she can keep them. My jelly-making days are gone. Molten-hot fruit sauce and people under 10 do not mix. In that whole strip mall, there are 3 businesses and 7 vacant spots. Cut the rent and maybe some businesses will flourish, perhaps? There's no reason why a coffee shop would fail (it did). A yoga studio just moved in and I am not holding my breath.

Then, I walked her by the pond to watch the ducks (originally "gucks" but it has since morphed into "guck-gucks" as in "Hiiiiiii, guck-gucks"). She thought it was pretty rad.

2.75 mi in 50 min.

I signed up for a 5k on Sept. 10th. Vi will be cruising in the jogger, intimidating the competition. Any local people interested? I'll send you a link to the race website.

Don't forget about the Virtual 5k! Winner gets a coffee!

BTW: OMG Bolt! What a crappy way to lose a winning streak. I didn't realize a false start was an automatic DQ. Thoughts (not about me being ignorant, but about the DQ!)?

A Dairy Update: still doing well and Bee is much improved! Is it the no dairy? Or did her body just "figure" itself out? I'm sure some hidden dairy was consumed, but regardless I had no blatant milk products. Hooray for no baby gas!

Big Big Day.

Thursdays are great! When working, I have Thursdays off to spend time with the girls. To keep Bug on a routine, it is the same for maternity leave. I like to cram as much fun into the day as I can.

This Thursday, we were on our way to the park, but Bug saw the "libree" and wanted to stop, so we did. The first book she picked up was about trains! Loves trains. She picked up several books and played on the computer for just a little bit--usually I have to pry her away from it. She said hello to all of the stuffed animals--Clifford was her favorite. "Hi, Dog. Bye, Dog."

Then, we went to the park and walked on the trail! Buggy ran! So fun!

Check out that form!! Who cares if she's running in dress sandals with flamingos on them?!

Then, my parents came over and watched the girls so I could run. I did a slow, hilly run of 5o min and only went about 3.8. I'm not kidding about the hilly part. Good for the glutes!

Product Review: Kigo Flits.

Photo from http://www.kigofootwear.com/flit.asp

Kigo Flits are my new favorite shoe! These are super adorable minimalist flats made of recycled/recyclable materials. The nice insole is removable if you want less support. They weigh 4 oz, no toxic chemicals, super-bendy sole. Love.

These mary-janes look great with my everyday jeans and even a dress (if I feel like wearing one). I hope to wear them at work sometimes, too! Some people run in them, but not this lady. Maybe I will feel differently about that later, but I am still in the "break-in period" to soften the stitching on the right heel. No big deal, really.

I bought mine from the website, Here! There are a lot of different style shoes to pick from, but I think these are the cutest!

A 5k! Cincinnati Smoking Ban!

A Beauty Nap

Thanks to my mom watching Bee after work and my mother-in-law watching Bug, I was able to get out for my first solo outside run! It was AMAZING! It was 86 degrees and cloudless so I knew that in itself would make it a challenge. My goals were to finish 5k in 30 minutes and work on my form.

Working on form is really difficult. My body just kept wanting to revert to heel-striking stiff legs and I had to constantly adjust to a midfoot landing with bent legs and a faster footfall. Honestly, bending the legs and doing a quicker turnover seems to automatically result in a midfoot landing. I noticed my lower back didn't hurt and I was only a little sore this morning, which I am surprised about because I would say my effort was an 8 or so.

While running, I passed a guy mowing. I am only slightly allergic to grass and I thought, I wonder if anyone has ever sued a mower for damages caused by breathing in grass clippings which caused an asthma attack? And then I thought, Well, then, they would probably ban mowing without a bag to catch the clippings. But then, whose rights outweigh whose? The guy mowing who has a right to mow whenever he wants/can with whatever model mower he chooses? Or the runner who can choose to run through or around the offending grass clippings? Obviously, neither person's rights are more important than the other so such a ban would be crazy.

This situation is not unlike the smoking ban around Cincinnati, which I was totally in support of because I hated going to eat and coming back smelling like smoke. Cigarette smoke is one of the top 5 reasons why we don't eat out with the girls. But comparing the grass clipping argument to the smoking ban, I see that the rights of one group (those who smoke/those willing to work in smokey restaurants) lost over another (those who don't smoke) which doesn't seem right considering that it isn't illegal to buy cigarettes. In fact tobacco is a huge crop in this area. Is the ban to make it "healthier" to go out? "Healthier" for workers? Increase profits of restaurants by getting people sensitive to smoke to come in?

Thoughts?

3.12 miles in 37:18

mile 1: 10:49

mile 2: 11:09

mile 3: 12:33

Obviously NOT a negative split but whatever. Another goal for another run.

Don't forget the virtual 5k!

Personal Training: Wk 3. No Dairy: Wk 2. and Teeny Meanie Bee.

Today, I rocked Personal Training. I didn't have to stop and rest at all and I felt strong and balanced. Maybe Erica tweaked the difficulty level, but I doubt it. I would like to think that it was my awesome breakfast that made this morning's workout possible. To replicate my breakfast:

1. Combine steel cut oats and water in a 1:3 ratio and microwave on high 2 minutes. Do not watch the oats. Walk away.

2. Nurse your baby, make coffee while nursing your baby, realize you have no clean go-cups and see your cup of coffee staring at you smugly while you continue to nurse your baby. Forget about trying to chug the molten coffee as rule #1 of nursing babies is: no hot liquids are to be consumed around babies.

3. Grab oatmeal out of the microwave and see that the oats have boiled over and out of the too-small bowl and figure out what to do with the oats on the floor of microwave. You may salvage them, but I opted to savagely wipe them out of the microwave and grimace as they made a disgusting ::plop!:: as they hit the stove below. Running out of time, I left them there to think about what they did.

What I actually ended up eating was a banana and a Maple Nut Orb from How It All Vegan. To make these (for real) mix 1 cup nut butter (I used peanut but have used cashew and almond in the past), 1/3 cup maple syrup (the real stuff), 1/2 cup wheat germ and 1/2 cup ground flax. Roll into balls and roll those in coconut. Makes 13. The recipe actually calls for oat bran, but I substitute flax because I love it. These are fantastic because they have good fat, protein and carbs in a very easy, quick snack with a great texture. Then, when I dropped Bee off at my parents' house, I downed a cup of coffee with agave.

So, the workout was great. Lots of squats still and lots of obliques today.

Apparently, Bee was a Teeny Meanie while I was gone and refused her bottle. I go back to work in 6 weeks, so she needs to figure this out. Sometimes she does really well--Friday she took 2 oz from the bottle while she had an ultrasound done of her hips (they felt a clunk at birth, but the u/s proved there to be no dislocation, so yay!) and 2 more when we went to the library. So, I don't know what's up. Sometimes she just melts down when she is tired and calms a lot when I lay with her. I also wonder if she gets overstimulated because moving to a quiet room usually does the trick. Regardless, I can relate.

As far as the first week off of dairy, I give myself a B. I have substituted almond milk in my coffee and cereal and pretty much avoided dairy, except I had a bite of ice cream and a drink from Starbuck's that was supposed to just be an Earl Gray, but they made it a latte. A good latte. I think Bee is doing better--no blood curdling gas pains in the middle of the night so I will continue to lay off of the milk.

Also, don't forget the Virtual 5k!

Bubbles.

Run #2!

O watched little Bee yesterday morning so Bug and I could run! Well, I ran/walked. Bug asked for crackers which I forgot, but no matter! She fell asleep after 20 minutes. It was pretty warm, but still 15 degrees cooler than the run on Thursday. It's amazing how much the temperature fluctuates in summer and how different a run can be because of that. We did 3 miles in 40 minutes.

I just found out that the Flying Pig (the half marathon I want to do in the spring) offers a race for kids depending on age. The 2 year olds can participate in a 25 yard race. Bug is kind of a shy lady, but I think she may enjoy doing that if I'm with her. I'm super excited about introducing her to running! Maybe she'll even like it!

Don't forget the Virtual 5k!! You can win a coffee!!

Product Review: Babba Cover

I bought this (we got the pink/orange pattern) because I am a big fan of sun protection. It is a fabric dome with elastic around the base so it fits over infant car seats. The fabric boasts an SPF of 50 and the mesh sides offer airflow and protection from bugs. Pretty awesome. Normally, it retails for $50.

I fight with arranging blankets to keep the sun off of Bee during our walks, so I thought I would give it a shot this morning.

Pros:

Nice cut-away that lines up with the handle of the car seat.

Cute pattern.

Def keeps the sun off of the baby face when walking east or west.

No bugs got in.

Bee didn't get too hot.

Cons:

The sun still came in on the sides. I didn't realize that our walks mostly ran north and south, so I still had to use a little blanket. To others, it probably appeared like I was pushing a cart full of blankets instead of a baby.

The little flap you can button up to see your baby's face is a floppy fabric so it doesn't make as big of a viewing window as you would want, but you can peek in the sides. Not a really big deal.

The next day, I took the girls to the park, and Bee slept the whole time in the car seat with the Babba Cover. It was very handy and did a great job of shielding her from the sun.



Overall, it's a great baby product. If you spend much time outside with an infant, I'd recommend it since they can't wear sunscreen until they are 6 months old. Even though it's not fool-proof, I will definitely keep using it on the walks because of the chemical-free protection it offers from bugs and it is a must-have for the park!

You can get your own Babba Cover at BabbaCo.com!

Runnnn!

My mom came over to watch Bee so Bug and I could go on a run! It was my first run since giving birth to Bee, and actually since last fall when we got pregnant. So, it's been a while and I needed to run because I was getting a little twitchy. Her coming over was seriously one of the best post partum gifts ever, especially since Bug and I haven't really had any time together lately.

The run was a walk/run and it was glorious. 14 minute miles pushing 28 lbs in a jogger never felt so good. It was unbelievably sunny and 85 degrees, but who cares?! I would have ran a leg of Badwater in a scuba suit and pulling a wagon of obnoxious snow globes if it was my only chance to get out and run.

Bug had an arsenal of Goldfish crackers, fresh milk, and my iPod to keep her entertained, but she was content to watch the world. We talked about bugs, trees, cars, and jets and sporadically, she'd show me her shoes. Just in case I forgot (I didn't).

In the end, we went 2.34 miles in 33 min. It was great.

This is Bug at the park. The three of us went this morning (Bee slept the whole time) and Bug thought she was so awesome for riding in this swing. "I swing! I big!" Love it.

Virtual 5k for Coffee!

My birthday is September 5 and a virtual race is in order!

This virtual 5k will take place at any point between Sept. 2 and Sept. 5. Finishing times must be emailed to me (bugsbeesrunATyahooDOTcom) by 11:59 pm on Sept 5th. Winner wins a coffee from Starbucks (I will mail you a $5 gift card). Email me to sign up! I will list the participants (and link to your blog) on the 2nd. Results posted on the 6th.

Bonuses (shave some time off of your run!):

1) Sign up before 8/20 and get a 15 second deduction!

2) Follow my blog and get a 15 second deduction!

3) Tell me your fav coffee drink via comments below: 5 second deduction!

4) Spread the word on your blog and get 20 seconds off! (tell me!)

That's up to 55 seconds off of your run! :D

Questions? Let me know!

Personal Training: Wk 2.

Today's session went much better than last week. I want to say that it is because I improved so much in 7 days, but I have a feeling that the level of difficulty was adjusted after my "assessment session" last week. Not as many lunges/squats this week (those I do at home on my own), more weights and leg presses. Oh, and abs. Lots of abs. It may have helped that I slept well last night (Little Bee is sleeping from 9p to 7a with getting up twice to briefly nurse as of last Wednesday), had breakfast, and a coffee. And lots of self-affirmation.

But that wasn't enough to keep from feeling "fainty" during a workout that looked benign-enough. Squat, touch your left toe with an 8 lb weight, reach up high to put the weight up on imaginary shelf overhead to your right. There I was, clog-eared and spotty-eyed and I had to take a break. I am a giant wuss. Granted, this was towards the end and I was zapped, but still. Wuss.

In other news, I am cutting out dairy to see if it helps Bee's gasiness. I hope so. As much as I love cheese and butter, I want her to feel better. Almond milk and coconut milk do well in coffee/cereal and EVOO is my BFF. This is day 2, so we'll see how it goes. Thanks for the tip, Jaz! The only real bummer so far is that Starbuck's dairy alternative is soy, and I am pretty sure soy is one of the worst "good" things for you.

2.4 w/ Bee.

Bee and I ninja'd out early this morning for a walk. I saw so many people from high school! It's bizarre. I didn't realize they lived near us, but there they were pounding the sidewalk. Small world. We went 2.4 miles in about 45 minutes, and Bee slept the entire time.

We go on walks with the same Bob stroller we used with Vi and right now we are using the car seat adapter. It's kind of a bummer--you can't run with the car seat adapter. She will be able to ride in the stroller without the car seat when she's 8 wks old, but I'm not supposed to run with her in the stroller (due to neck strength, etc.) til she's 8 months old! That will be March. Well, at least we can use the Double Bob when it's spring again. I probably won't have many opportunities to walk with the girl, anyway, once it's colder.

Side note: I realized today that Bug can still ride in the stroller with the adapter on it. Good to know in a pinch! Though, are there ever stroller emergencies? Hm.

I just read chapter 20-something in Born to Run--the one about the guys that started Nike and came up with a new way to run so their shoes would be needed. That the flatter foot strike was the norm and they changed it to sell shoes. Hello? Does that make anyone else feel a little duped?

Barefoot Running. 5wk Old Bee.

Little Bee is 5 wks old now. At her 1 mo check yesterday she weighed 11 lbs 10 oz! Chunking up! I bought these stickers off of Etsy, by the way. I thought they were opaque but they are transparent. Readingitemdescriptions fail.

I am reading Born to Run, and it is amazing. I thought barefoot running was a hyped-up fad that would soon follow in the footsteps of Reebok Pumps and Keds with puffy paint, but it's not. Well, I am sure some people are into it because it's popular, but the book really makes sense. It's the simple fact that your natural, unshod gait is different than your motion and foot strike is when wearing shoes. So, wouldn't your natural motion be the right motion?

I just ordered these:
They are Merrell Barefoot Pace Gloves. Basically, a minimal shoe with a Vibram sole (and maybe a Vibram soul, too). To be honest, I am very interested in the Vibram Five Fingers, but they are so, so ugly. So ugly. I wouldn't look forward to putting them on, which is 60% of the point of having shoes. Thoughts?

In other news:
1. I am trying to plan Bug's birthday party, which I think may be airplane themed.
2. I wear my running shorts constantly in case an opportunity to run presents itself (it hasn't, yet). One day, Bug will be asleep and O will give Bee a bottle and I will have 30 minutes of glorious, quiet Mommy time to run wherever I like. It will happen. Someday.
3. I think Casey of 5 years ago is a moron for thinking she is busy.

Squat Cannon.

Bee wakes up several times a night to nurse and every time I got up last night, something new hurt. Then, once I had a good 2 hr stretch of sleep and woke up for good, I felt like I had gotten shot out of a cannon. In a good way.

Erica emailed me a circuit to do during the week at home. Is it a bad sign that they are all rudimentary exercises not even close to what we did yesterday? What if the people in the examples are probably in their Golden Years? Because they are. Well, whatever. I am going to be the best young-old person at doing old person exercises.

Bee and I took a walk today. 1.6 mi in 30 min. It was nice, like 73*. It wasn't even a big deal when it started to sprinkle. I saw a lot of runners; one was even barefoot. Like, "skin on sidewalk" barefoot. All I could think about was broken bottles and dog crap, which probably means that I won't be running totally barefoot on public sidewalks. Unless I get to run with a box of wine strapped to my back with a long straw. Like a CamelBack pack! I may be on to something...

Personal Training: Day 1.

This morning marked two big things: the first time I have left Bee with someone (Grandma and Grandpa) and my first personal training session with my dear friend, Erica. Today was a "light workout" to see where I stood fitness-wise. Apparently, I stand somewhere between "new to fitness" and "Weaky McNoMuscle" because I died 18 times during our 45 minute session.

I should have known it was going to be fun when, before we started, she apologetically said that there were going to be lots of squats.

Squats with a kettle bell. Squats with weights. Lunges with weights. Medicine ball squats. And for extra spice: triceps and planks. Then, to bathe my wounded, bleeding ego in a salty brine, I got weighed, my BMI was measured, as was my hip-to-waist ratio. My BMI is normal, thank goodness. My weight is 7 lbs more than pre-preg. The only mention about my hip-to-waist ratio is "we need to work on it." Haha. I will have O take a "before" picture tonight.

Did I mention that this session was complementary? It doesn't even count! I had mentally checked one week off of my 12 session package but nope. I have to add it back.

Erica really is a dear friend. I have known her for about 9 years from working together at the health food store back in college. She was in our wedding and made the wedding cake, in fact. Good thing she likes me or I would have died 20 times today. Perhaps that is what happens when your session "counts".

PS: Bee did great. She slept the entire time and was just taking her bottle as I got there. She promptly abandoned any effort to drink from it once I appeared, though I know she can do it as she took the whole bottle last night.

Beginning, Again.

This is a new running blog, but I'm not new to running or blogging. I had a blog that I maintained for 5 years, but then I realized that it had changed so much from when I started that I needed to start a new blog entirely. What sort of changes? Well. I got married. I had a baby girl (Bug) and I started running again after about a year off of running. Then I had another baby girl (Bee) and that's where I am now. Bug and Bee, of course, are not their real names. Being a parent to two charming little girls has made me kinda paranoid about sharing too much information about them. So, I guess that's another reason for the new blog.

Today, Bee has turned one month old and Bug is 21 months old (they are exactly 20 months apart--math is tricky, I know). It's pretty awesome. The first three weeks has been pretty challenging to deal with the demands of nursing, which I must say is pretty counter to my personality. Nursing and recovering from birth requires a bit of sitting and relaxing and I don't do that very well. But here we are, nursing for 1 month. I'm taking it week by week. Some days I am ready to throw in the towel and crack open a can of formula. Some days I'm happy to be breast feeding.

Anyway. We (Bee and I) started walking this past week. We have a Bob Revolution with a car seat adapter on it so we are good to go. (Side note: we had the adapter w/ Bug as well, but it went "missing" so we purchased another. It's ridiculous and wasteful, but I am willing to pay pretty much any amount to get out of the house. So, voila.) We walked to Grandma and Grandpa's house which is 1.92 miles round trip. Not the most intense run ever, but enough to make me feel like I am working towards a goal.

Ah, goals. What is my goal, anyway? Well. Here's the deal. After I had Bug, I started jogging as soon as I could. I should have spent time working on my core, but I didn't. I just ran. So, 10 months after Bug was born, I did a half and it turned out fine. I was very tired. It was a very flat race. I should have had a better time--I finished 4 minutes or so slower than I did with a hilly half. I feel like if I had a better foundation I could have done a lot better. So this time, I am going to work on toning all over before I start putting on the miles. Monday, I start meeting with my very good friend, Erica, who is a personal trainer (who runs!). So excited.

I hope to do a half next spring. I would like to run a full marathon before I turn 30--which is next fall. Gulp. I need to make that happen. My goals, then:

1. Tone.

2. Miles.

3. Half.

4. Full.

5. 30.

It's funny. I have two little girls now. It seems impossible to have any time to yourself. O (my husband) does his illustration/freelance work after we have all gone to bed staying up til 2-3am most nights. I will have to squeeze in running whenever I can. Before we had kids, we felt so busy. Now, we actually are busy but we are so much more motivated to get our time in. Looking back, we obviously weren't that busy. I don't even know what we did with our time. I think we just indulged in our hobbies and watched movies. The last movie I watched for fun was The Kings Speech and it was while I was nursing Bee. So, anyway. This is all going to work. It's just going to be a challenge. If it wasn't a challenge, it wouldn't be worth doing, right?