Friday Fit Club: Completing a 5K

This past weekend I 'ran' the Run For Your Heroes 5K sponsored by the Raleigh Policy Department.  Although everyone seems to think I can run, I can verify (and past posts will back me up) that I am not a runner.  However, I would love to be a runner and be able to just go out in the morning for a run.  So, several weeks ago I joined a Couch to 5K program through the Cary YMCA.  A group met every Tuesday with a running coach and several running mentors.  Slowly but surely I was able to increase my distance until I was able to consistently 'run' a 5K for about 3 weeks straight and on race day I finished with my personal best time!

The run was not easy.  It was hard to maintain my personal pace with everyone passing me.  It was also hard to see little kids sprinting past me.  But with my headphones in and my playlist going I slowed myself down until I got to the halfway mark.  I then picked up my speed a bit trying to get a good time, but also trying to make sure I would not burn out too fast.  When I turned the corner and saw the finish I began to sprint I was so excited... I quickly slowed my pace when I realized I could not maintain that through to the finish and then picked it up again when I was about 4 blocks away.  Crossing the finish felt really great and I was able to pass people on my run to the finish, which sort of felt like redemption for the start of the race.

I need to disclose that I am a very slooooow runner, but at this point I am just happy to have completed the race.  The next hurdle will be the Lawyers Have Heart 10K in Washington, D.C.   The good news is that I 'ran' 4.5 miles earlier this week and felt great.  I will also continue training at the YMCA on my own.  My goal is to just finish the run without walking, which I have never done in the past and even though I know some of those 'fast walkers' will be passing me, I will just turn the headphones up and run my own race!

Fashion: Let's Update my Look

I recently began receiving subscriptions to Cosmo and Elle magazines and I am following Rachel Zoe on twitter. These influences, along with the fact that I feel pretty good about myself these days has led me to want to update my look. The problem is that I have had a lot of trouble finding trendy clothes that look good, fit well and are age appropriate. Banana Republic, J-Crew and Ann Taylor can only do so much and are not as trendy as I would like. Express and Limited are ok, but in my head I am looking for the cover of Elle! So, in an attempt to expand my boring wardrobe I tried to shop at the department stores. The problem is that I am finally admitting to myself that I am too old to shop in the junior section (well, let’s be honest… those shorty-shorts really did the trick). So off to the ladies department where I found many older old ladies shopping for frumpy outfits. I then proceed to mope around the mall in the hopes that I will find something, anything that I sort of like. I did see a shirt on a mannequin outside of Hollister that I really liked. I entered fearing that I would be laughed at, but under cover of darkness I am not sure anyone could really tell my age. I quickly found the shirt and grabbed one two sizes up from normal (since there clothes are intended to fit Barbie, and not a girl the size of Barbie, actually Barbie). I proceeded to hold my breath and find my way to the register – victory… one shirt. Hasn’t everyone seen that 30 Rock episode, #true.

After declaring the mall a complete waste I felt defeated. I thought I would have to buy everything online and then deal with returning everything when it inevitably did not fit until… I decided to try out the local boutique. I pass Gigi’s Boutique every time I go to the grocery store. I always like the clothes in the window, but for some reason I always felt a bit scared of boutiques. I think I have been scared that I would not be able to afford the clothes or not be classy enough and the salesgirl would peer down at me like a child. But with the realization that I can no longer shop in the junior departments equally came the realization that I am no longer a child. I also realized that the department stores are not inexpressive! Encouraged by these thoughts I entered the boutique to find a very friendly salesgirl who helped me fill my dressing room. I tried on pretty much everything and left with several outfits. Mission accomplished!

If I want to buy relaxed or inexpensive clothes I will stick to the outlets or Old Navy, but for everything else I am going to skip the heartache of the mall and head straight to the boutiques. Hopefully I can hit these boutiques when traveling and build an ‘awesome’ wardrobe that Rachel Zoe would approve of (for me anyway).

Manic Mommy Monday: Traveling

Traveling with a toddler... Ug.  For the Easter holiday we traveled to Maryland from North Carolina to visit with family.  For both legs of the trip I had tried to plan the driving around Mattingly's nap/ sleep schedule.  Well, she did not want to sleep.  I am not sure if she was just really interested in everything that was going on or what, but she only slept about an hour (right before we arrived) on the trip up and slept for another hour (as soon as we got in the car) on the way home.  This was not what I planned and although she was a great in the car for the 6 hour drives, it was much harder to try to keep her occupied.  I found myself turned around for most of the trip picking up dropped/thrown books and pacifiers.  Overall she was a real trooper, but if she had slept for 3 hours each way as planned, it would have been much easier.  I am not sure how people who do even longer trips manage!

Reviews: Buffett in Raleigh

Jimmy Buffett came to Raleigh last week (Apr. 19) and like most local Parrotheads I took the day off work and ventured out to taligate and see the show.  I have been to many many Buffett shows in various states and am pretty critical, especially after the poor tailgating experience in Raleigh a few years ago.  I had originally planned to have my bestfriends come down from MD/VA for the show, but since it was on a Tuesday they could not make it.  I then found out that my Aunt would be in town so Paul and I ended up going with my Mom and my Aunt.  First rule of the parking lot, claim your tailgating spot!  We did and ended up in one of the best tailgating spots that Walnut Creek has to offer (people were actually mad at us).  Anyway, we made nice and handed out margarita and pina colada cupcakes.  Soon our tailgate neighbors became our best friends.  Paul and I went on the mandatory walk-about (adventure around the parking lot) and although it was nothing compared to the shows I have seen in VA and FL, everyone was a lot of fun and I even scored a new Lanshark Lager banner to display at the next tailgate.  Overall the tailgate experience was fun... but not enough to continue writing about...

Onto the show.  While Ilo opened I maneuvered my party through the crowds in the lawn until we were front and center.  Then the show began and when Buffett opened with Wino and I Know, I knew it would be a good show!  While most people sat during the 'ole stuff' and everyone stood during the 'yellow CD songs' I was the opposite.  Screaming and yelling like a 12 year old at a Justin Bieber concert and sang to every song.  Below is a list of my favorites...

The Wino and I Know
Off to See the Lizard (with new verse about falling off stage in Australia
Life is Just a Tire Swing
Great Filling Station Holdup
Lady I Can't Explain
School Boy Heart
Sending the Old Man Home
Chanson Pour Les Petits Enfants
Coast of Carolina
In the City (with Mac)
Survive

This is a list of a lot of really great songs and I can't believe how many more greats are out there.  This show seemed more like a tribute to true fans than just catering to the Buffett fans for a day and I really appreciated that!  This was reinforced by the few other die hards I could hear screaming in the crowds 'His best friend Magnus right by his side... once around Venus twice around Mars.'  He did not play Drunk and Screw and I could not be happier!  The weather could not have been more perfect!  Now summer has officially begun and it will not end until the VA show in August. 

Fins Up!

Manic Mommy Mondays: Just say "No"?

Well, the early stages of the 'terrible twos' have begun... whether from us or the other kids at school, Mattingly has learned the word 'No.' 

Do you want to get dressed? No.

Do you want to stay in your pajamas? No.

Do you want more food? No.

Are you all done? No.

Do you want to go outside? No.

Do you want to stay inside? No.

No, no, no...  so frustrating.  I have read that during this phase we need to be more careful and not phrase the things we want in the form of a question.  We need to use more demanding language.  This has actually worked.  When I say 'put the blocks back on the shelf', she still says 'no' but precedes to follow the instruction.  It is kind of unelievable.  My guess is that she does not even know what 'no' means.  Hopefully if we just ignore what she is saying she will just assume it has no effect and she will stop saying it. 

Friday Fit Club: P90X Review

P90X is a workout program from Beach Body which promises "In just 90 days, you can get back in shape, or build the body you've always wanted. All you need is a set of dumbbells or resistance bands, a pull-up bar, and about an hour a day. No gym membership required." 

My husband and I borrowed the P90X program from my mother.  We would put our daughter to bed and workout, every night.  Chin ups, pull ups, lunges, jumps and crazy one handed and clap push ups.  We were strict for 8 weeks, then we would miss a night or be too tired, but we continued and finished most of the last month.  The results were great.  I finally slimmed down my arms after the pregnancy and my legs and stomach were toned.  I was in shape for the summer and we took a few months off, as suggested by the program.

We tried to start back up again early this spring, but not even the results from the 1st round could motivate me to put the necessary time into the program.  The shortest workout is 52 minutes (not including the ab workout) and the longest is 90 minutes.  One option is to wake up at 6:00 am to workout and still have time to shower, wake Mattingly and get her to school and us to work.  We tried this for a bit, but I am NOT a morning person.  The other option is to workout again after Mattingly goes to sleep.  The problem with that is there are so many other things that need to happen, I can't focus.  So, as Paul continues to wake up at 6:00am, I sleep.

My review - if you have all the time in the world, this is a great workout and provides great results.  But if you are a mother who works full time and tries her best to take care of her husband and her house, this workout is just too time consuming.

Actors as Role Models?

CNN recently shared a poll where many people thought that Charlie Sheen should be removed from his hit show because of his actions off the stage ... drunken craziness...  This has also come up recently with Mel Gibson losing his job on the sequel to "The Hangover", the reprimand from parents associations about sexy photos of 17 year old Miley Cyrus and talks about whether Lindsey Lohan can resurrect her career after her rehab stint.   I am not condoning any bad behavior, but these people are ACTORS!!!  If their off stage antics does not effect their ability to do their job than why should any of us care?  Most actors did not choose the career because they wanted to be role models to us all, they choose it because it would give them the Hollywood life that we all grew up envying (or maybe they like to act).  Either way, they don't care about how there actions effect you and they shouldn't. 

The ones who want to be role models participate in campaigns to help young children or causes they believe in.  We can respect that, but we can't hold everyone in Hollywood to that standard.  Are we so naive as to think that Cary Grant never got drunk and trashed a hotel room or that Judy Garland wasn't a drug addict who had been confined to a mental institution... oh wait, that happened.  Is it that we have forgotten that even the icons in Hollywood were part of the Hollywood stigma, or is it just that TMZ was not there to catch the every mistake?

Get over it.  We choose who our role models are and good role models effect our lives more than just on or off the screen.  Role models should inspire us to be more and to acheieve great things.  But even good role models may fail and hopefully we can learn from their mistakes and be better for it.  Of course it would be nice if the people we see and sometimes idolize were perfect. but no one is perfect, we are just lucky that no one follows us around 24/7 with a camera.

Kissing my mommy guilt goodbye

I recently read the article "Kiss Mommy Guilt Goodbye" from Parenting.com and it was very refreshing.  As I talk to more and more mommies I have come to find that when giving a first impression we all want everyone to think that our lives are perfect.  Our wonderful children eat anything, sleep well, don't have tantrums and know their multiplication tables by their 2nd birthday.  We love them so much and want to spend every minute with them.  We miss them when we are away and just love being mommies.  I am sure that there are mommies out there who become teary eyed and miss their children when they go the bathroom, but not all of us, and trying to be the 'perfect mom' makes us feel guilty because we know inside that we need our Me Time.

I have been traveling to DC recently for work and other events and have been able to spend good time with my friends.  I really enjoyed my time away was starting to feel guilty about having fun away from my daughter.  I love being a mom, but I there is more to me than that and I really do not want to change.   I have recently been trying to make friends in our 'new' (3 years now) town, so I joined a few meetup groups and a mommy group.  My husband was reading an email we received which listed several activities including, book club, crafting club, cooking/meal planning, and a games nights.  I asked if he thought beer pong would be included in game night.  He looked at me and said 'I can't believe you are a mom'.  Yeah, me too! 

You can stop judging now... I did make my daughter christening gown from a pattern and made all of her food fresh until she was 1 (I still make her fruits).   I know that I am a good mom, but that does not mean that my life must now be consumed by fingerpaints and puppets.  It is about finding the right balance so that you do not lose who you are.   Having a night or two out with my husband or friends is a good thing and I know that when I get home she will come running to give me a hug and I will appreciate that hug more than ever! 

I am a "Woman Driver"

Oh jeez...  I always laughed at the stereotype of a 'woman driver', even contributing when I passed a 'woman driver' on the highway with their blinker on too long, or when they are swerving all over the place.  Do having children make you a bad driver?  I don't have the statistics about whether all those 'woman drivers' that I have made fun of have children, but that is the only logical explanation for my recent parking job.

I have always prided myself on my good driving.  I always use my blinker (to an OCD level), I am courtesty and thoughful when it comes to other drivers and am pretty cautious.  Although I tend to have a lead foot, I am a very safe driver.  I used to curse drivers who would park over the line and prevent me from enjoying the full space that I thought was MINE.  I took this picture of my parking job while dropping Mattie off at day care the other day.  Really! 

I don't know what my problem is but I have noticed that I have been parking poorly ever since she was born.  Is bad driving hormonal, or do we just stop caring about every other driver because we have more important things to worry about?  I am sure the mom or dad who parked next to me cursed me when they learned they could not have there child exit on the drivers side because I was taking up too much space!  I am going to try to make it in the lines next times, but no promises.  One day at a time...

I run like Homer Simpson!

In order to be a happier Me, I need to get ‘back’ into shape. To be honest, I am not sure I ever really was ‘in’ shape, so ‘back’ may be a stretch. I have always been athletic, gymnastics, basketball, softball… but I could NEVER run. I always envied my roommate in college who would come back from runs, sweaty but refreshed. I wish I could just go out for a run, but it would always end up being a 5 minute jog followed by some huffing and puffing and ended with me looking ridiculous as I walked back home. I tried to run a 10K for the American Heart Association’s Lawyers Have Heart, but my friend was running circles around me trying to motivate me to push harder so that the little bus at the end would not force me to get on. I have been going to the gym and trying to run on the treadmill, but it is sooo hard. Twice the 80 year old guy was running 8 minute miles while I had to stop every .25 miles to walk and catch my breath… pretty embarrassing but I have to start somewhere. I have looked around on the internet and found some advice as to how to become a runner. First, I need to get over my ego and accept that I am NOT in shape. I need to walk/run/walk and not feel bad about it. My schedule is below. I consider myself in Week 1 now and Week 2 will start next week.

Week one: Walk for 6 minutes, then jog at an easy pace for 1 minute. Repeat 3 times. Aim for three sessions with that same sequence for week one.

Week two: Walk for 5 minutes, then jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Aim to do three sessions in week two.

Week three: Walk for 3 minutes, then jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Aim for four sessions in week three.

Week four: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 5 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Shoot for four of those sessions in week four.

Week five: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 8 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four of those sessions in week five.

Week six: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 9 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Try to do four sessions for week six.

Week seven: Walk for 1 minute, then jog for 11 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four sessions this week.

Week eight: Congratulations on making it to week eight! For your first run this week, try walking for 5 minutes to begin and end the workout, and run for 20 minutes in between. By the end of the week, try to run for 30 minutes without stopping.

This schedule is taken from About.com, which actually has a lot of good running advice. I few more tidbits I plan to incorporate into my routine are:

Land Midfoot - Don't be a toe runner or a heel-striker. If you land on your toes, your calves will get tight or fatigue quickly and you may develop shin pain. Landing on your heels means you have overstrided and you're braking, which wastes energy and may cause injury. Try to land on the middle of your foot, and then roll through to the front of your toes.

Fight the Mental Battle - Some beginner runners are actually physically fit enough to run a certain distance, but they don't have the confidence or mental strength to push themselves farther. In many cases, it's simply "mind over matter." Try to distract yourself by playing mind games, choosing new running routes, or running with other people.

Set Small Goals for Yourself - Having very short-term goals to work toward can also help with the mental challenges of running longer. Your goals can be as simple as, "Run to the next stop sign" (and then the next stop sign, and the one after that). As long as it keeps you moving, it doesn't matter how lame or uninspired your goal might seem.

Make running a priority - Schedule your runs and get your spouse on board so you get help with some of the child-care responsibilities. And get creative by taking advantage of opportunities to run. For example, if you're watching your kid's soccer game, run some laps around the field before or even during the game.

Here’s to staying motivated and meeting my weekly goals. Check back in to see how I am doing and of course your advice and support is welcome!