Are we there yet?

Thanksgiving week! Hunting season, Turkey Trots, and driving hours for a large meal and tons of family. I don't know what I'm most excited about!

Tomorrow I embark on my 6 hour drive to the NY/NJ Metropolitan area with 3 little kids and no husband (poor man has to work). :( No worries, I've done the drive before by myself a million times, just not with 3 kids. In my head I have it all planned out.. stop every two hours to stretch our legs, get some air, and change diapers. Travis will be able to watch a DVD in the truck for the first time. Eileen is a little too young for the DVD's, but she should be fine, and I'm hoping Tyler just sleeps the whole way.
Now, here is how it's really going to go. Travis will get car sick watching the DVD's, but will insist on watching them because the kid would watch videos until his eyes bled. Eileen will have a major pooptastrophy and require multiple changes of clothes along with being cranky and whiny the whole day, and Tyler will scream for at least half the trip. I might bring some ear plugs just in case!

On to the Turkey Trotting....
This past weekend I rode in my first ever cyclocross race. I haven't ridden my bike in a very long time, and my sit bones were sore just from riding one lap on Friday, but I think I did ok, and I'm glad I did it.  It felt really good to be on my bike again, and you have to take the opportunity when you get it. This race was at our house, so I didn't have to pack the kids up and take them to a baby sitter.
On Sunday I did have to pack the kids up and take them to the babysitter. When I thought I had everything ready and I was going to put the kids in the car, Eileen with a poopy diaper. Never Fails! I still made it in plenty of time. I ran the Rowlesburg 5k and got my ass kicked by a high school kid. I knew it was going to happen, but it didn't make it any easier to take. What do I expect though, I'm still carrying 10 extra pounds and I haven't done any speed work, in fact, that was my speed work. On Thursday I will run a 5 miler which will be my second hard run postpartum. I'm hoping the plan of going out more conservatively this time will help with the hurt.

Paleo during the holidays....
The past week or so I've been pretty good with my diet. It is a team challenge, after all, so I feel I have to bring it! But this is Thanksgiving week, and I'm just saying right now that I will be eating everything in sight on Thursday, it's only right. That's the problem with being on a "diet" this time of year. I have three parties this weekend, then the Holiday party season will be in full swing in the coming weeks. I believe our challenge ends on Christmas Eve, I have a feeling I'll have many cheats between now and then!

Recipes....
Last week I made Paleo Beef Stew. I made mine with deer meat and it was awesome! I would highly recommend it! Unfortunately Travis is in a picky eating phase, so of course he wouldn't even try it. Eileen will eat just about anything though, so it only makes my life slightly harder when I have to make something else for Travis.
I can say I've eaten mostly bacon, sweet potatoes, eggs, chicken, salmon, and deer meat so far, and of course lots of veggies. Everything I've made has been great though. I highly recommend sweet potato hash with eggs on top, cooked in bacon fat of course!

Prepping for Beef Stew

Finished Stew with Avocado

Travis' Self Portrait

Mom's Self Portrait pre-cyclocross race!

To Paleo or not to Paleo?

Okay, before I get too far away from a post (like another 10 months) I will post! Here are the challenges to myself this winter!

Challenge 1: I am on week number 4 of Crossfit (google it). It's crazy, but good crazy. My friend Leah turned me on to it, and boy do I need it! Having 3 babies in 5 years does not bode well for the body. Although I managed to get myself in pretty good running shape in between each baby, I neglected my overall fitness. At 37 years old I am losing muscle strength anyway, so I figured I better get on it.
Right now I am going three times a week, and I am very sore most days (it's a good sore! I swear!)
I get my run in on the rail trail after class which means I am very tired while running. On the days in between I just run and maybe do some abs. I haven't done any real running workouts yet, so I'm hoping that all this strength training will pay off when I start trying to pour on the speed. It can't hurt, right? Or can it?

Challenge 2: Cook more...again. I'm thinking of trying this whole Paleo craze (google it! LOL)! I'm not totally sold on Paleo because it cuts out so many carbs that I am used to since I am a runner. Also, I just never really buy into a craze because I am a firm believer in "calories in and calories out", or "you ate in, negate it!" But I have seen the power of Paleo in action. They are doing a Paleo challenge at the gym for six weeks, so maybe I will take the challenge. Although, those six weeks run through Thanksgiving, and that means no stuffing or mashed potatoes. Come on! That's just not right! I live for the Thanksgiving meal which is why I try to find a Turkey Trot to run before I stuff myself. I feel I must earn my dinner.

Challenge 3: Be a better Mommy. I guess really this should be challenge 1 because it should be highest on my priority list. My two eldest children are at challenging ages. Travis will be 5 in February and Eileen will be 2 in March. Sometimes I find myself going through a day where all I've done is yelled or told them don't do this or don't do that. I have little patience sometimes, and they like to push each others buttons as well as mine. For example, last night while making dinner, the baby was crying...loudly, Eileen was whining...incessantly, and Travis was singing the Batman theme song. I just soldiered on figuring if I get dinner on the table Eileen will stop whining, Travis will stop singing, and I can pick up the baby so he will stop crying. Otherwise, I will start drinking. ;)

So, on Monday I will start my challenge, because Travis has been out of school since October 29th, and he goes back on Tuesday, and also the Paleo challenge starts on Monday. Right now I am baking my second loaf of Pumpkin Bread trying to perfect my recipe!

 Photo of the week!

Eileen as Tinkerbell

Has it been 10 months?

Last time I blogged I was getting ready to run Rehobeth Marathon in Delaware with my friend and training partner Ron. I didn't even realize that I didn't write a blog post about how the marathon went until a friend reminded me. So here it goes, and then some!

I went into the marathon feeling a bit sick and rundown. Now, at the time I had an 8 month old who wasn't sleeping through the night, so I just figured I had yet another cold and I would try to run through it. I did everything I usually do to prepare and I just hoped for the best. I stuck to my game plan the morning of the race. I went in hoping I could possibly win, which would be a first for my marathon career. In the early morning light I saw what appeared to be a fast woman! Dang it! Maybe she's just trying to run sub-3 like me, or even trying to get the last ditch Olympic Trials qualifier in, where she may wind up blowing up and I'll blow by her late in the race and win. Whatever..I just wanted to run sub-3 and chalk up another marathon!

It turned out to be a very windy day on the Delaware shoreline. I was feeling okay at first, but by the time I got to about mile 10 I was whooped. Oh well! I had second place pretty well sewn up, and I had never placed second in a marathon, so I was determined to finish. Somewhere around mile 16 my training partner blew by me. He didn't say much, just left me in the dust. I didn't have it in me to try and stay with him. I had just enough mental fortitude to make it back to the finish.

As we all know with marathons, sometimes you just don't have a good day. I was glad I didn't quit, but I was very disappointed in my efforts. I ran 3:07, well off my personal best, and over 10 minutes off of what I had hoped to run. After the race my partner and I went to the Dogfish Head Brewery so I could drown my sorrows. (I really don't drink very much, so this involved about 2 beers.) Then on home we went.

In the days after the marathon I didn't run much and I was already planning my attack on a fast 5k in March. I noticed my stomach getting a little pudgy. I thought, "well, I've not been running much and it is the holiday season, guess I better lay off the cookies!"

On Christmas Eve morning I went for a 10 mile run with some of my regular running partners. We had a great run, and I don't remember feeling bad, but something told me I should make a stop on the way home and get a pregnancy test. So I did, and it was positive.

I waited in the kitchen for Don to get home so I could give him our good news, our third child had been well on his way for a few weeks. He had even accompanied me in my marathon, all the time sucking the life out of me so that I had barely anything left to battle the wind for 26 miles.

So here I am, so many months later, with a nearly 7 week old, embarking on the same journey I have already been on twice before. I am 37 years old and I have 3 children under the age of 5. Exactly whose idea this was I do not know, but I can tell you it wasn't mine. But, so far so good. Our new little bundle of joy, Tyler Joseph, enjoys the double stroller, and older brother Travis is in Pre-K until 1pm, so I just have to make sure I can get my running in by the time I have to pick up Travis. Or maybe I need a triple stroller!

Today I was given the okay for full on exercise. I've been running for almost 4 weeks straight. I am trying to maintain a running streak. We'll see how it goes. Soon I will have to go down in the basement and dust off the old treadmill!

Travis, Tyler, and Eileen!