Friday: Me Swim, Ivan Swim and Chick-Fil-A

So Ivan and I were relatively punctual to swim today, by which I mean 10 minutes late. Workout as follows:

• 200 warmup
• 400 kick
• 800 pull
• 4 x 100 swim
• 200 pull
• 200 swim
• 200 kick warm down

Now, I am leaving something out, but I of course forgot to photograph the workout. It was a great swim. Long course on Fridays, so good long strokes and not so much flip turning.

Now in terrifying news, the water in Knoxville where I will be swimming the Rev 3 triathalon is currently 61 degrees. Now, though one of my life goals is to swim Alcatraz, I am deeply afeared of cold water. I do not like it even a bit, though I find it does cause me to swim faster. Anyway, here is what I have found: a gym in Franklin called Prairie Life has already opened their outdoor pool, and it is 61 degrees. For $10, I can go there and immerse myself and my wetsuit in their frigid outdoor pool and swim a bit. This fills me with dread, but I will do it, in an effort to improve my craft. I am a giver.

After swim, Ivan and I headed out for Chick-Fil-A to meet Katelen for lunch. Now, as per usual trying to eat lunch with Ivan is like trying to comfortably eat lunch with a ticking time bomb (time of explosion unknown) strapped into a highchair beside you. Ivan went off multiple times even with all my precautions of choosing an venue with a slide and indoor play yard (germ pit). Both chicken nuggets and french fries were available. All these precautions and myself stuck with eating food that is not completely palatable. As healthy as you can get maybe, but undeniably fast food. All this and Ivan had multiple squealing fits, two trips to the bathroom for consequences and two times where he ran away from me.

If I had had my druthers today, I would have had sushi. I would have eaten it slowly in the restaurant with chopsticks while Ivan sat both silently and appreciatively watching me eat, while he ate California rolls. This, I fear, is years and years away, though I think of it with longing anticipation.

Following our roaring good time at Chick-Fil-A we headed home for naps, before heading out for Ivan to practice his swim skills. He was lit today, running willy nilly across the slick concrete. Hurling himself into the pool, refusing to float and grabbing me with his king fu grip. There were scuba divers practicing at the pool today and Ivan was so fascinated when they started jumping in with all their gear. After restraining him many times from throwing himself in on top of them, I was able to tackle him into his clothes and muscle him to the car, while futilely counting to three and threatening consequences.

I didn't even work today and it was one of the longest days I've had.

Watching Inglorious Basterds. It's not moving as fast as I thought.

Pic of Ivan ringing the doorbell.

Thursday: Trainer Ride and a 3 Hour Nap

Now this morning, I woke filled with anticipation and fear. Miss Emily, from my swim class, was turning 82 and I had a large group lunch scheduled at the Puffy Muffin. Now the Puffy Muffin in Brentwood is the place for ladies who lunch. As a general rule, I do not fall into this category, as Ivan (as much as he is dearly loved) makes this a royal disaster. ROYAL. The last time I had lunch with my swim class and Ivan, I left covered inexplicably in oil, never got to eat my food and said several several curse words under my breath as I chased my child around the restaurant. There was no merry conversation, and when I strapped Ivan into his highchair at the table he squealed for the duration of his confinement.

Today, I took some serious precautions. I hid a secret bottle in Ivan's diaper bag for when things went South, I dressed him extra cute so as to appeal to the Puffy Muffin masses in a smocked, gingham bubble suit (the trifecta of toddler adorableness), I asked my mom to come as backup and I brought THE LEASH.

It really went pretty well. I ordered Ivan a Shoney's style grilled cheese sandwich with fries from which I liberally sampled. Why will a grilled cheese sandwich be so amazing? Anyway, my friend Jaime (who will heretofore be referred to as Saint Jamie) took Ivan outside and walked him on THE LEASH so that I could eat my salad. I actually sat, with my napkin in my lap like a real person, and ate my salad.

Anyway, once home Ivan took a three hour nap. A THREE HOUR NAP. If I could make him understand how much I appreciated this reprise, I would write his name in the stars. I would sing his name from the rooftops and bequeath to him all my worldly goods. I had a great trainer ride, sat in the sun to get my vitamin d, cleaned up the kitchen, took a shower, and started reading Team of Rivals. It was lovely. Just so lovely.

Up and at'em to tomorrow for swim!!!

Figured out how to embed my workouts in my blog. Thrilling!!!! First embed is Boston marathon!!!!

Wednesday: Swim, Bike, Gilad

So today, an anonymous person commented on my blog that I should check my registration because I appeared to be registered for the Olympic distance, and not the half-iron distance of the REV 3. Now this is classic Betsy, by which I mean it might have happened before. Maybe, and it might have been more than once that I crawled out the water at a sprint triathlon and thought, "Wow, that swim just did not seem that long, and my watch says that I swam it unusually fast", only to find that I was in a sprint triathlon when I thought I was in an olympic distance. When I say it has happened before, I mean that it has happened twice. Obviously that is two too many. The best thing I can say about this situation is thank goodness a good Samaritan informed me of the situation and prevented me from making it three times that I show up to do the wrong distance.

I must say that I am awash with relief about doing the olympic distance. So thrilled. Pressure is off, friends. It is officially the best Mother's Day ever. 26 miles on the bike suddenly sounds like heaven.

Anyway, Ivan and I made it to the pool this morning in good time (by which I mean 10 minutes late). Workout as follows:

• 4 x 200 swim
• 4 x 50 swim
• 6 x 75 (IM, no freestyle)
• 4 x 25 fast
• 700 kick (how great is that!!!)
• 400 pull
• 400 kick (for cool down)

That was 3050 meters.

At home, I hopped on the bike for a 40 minute trainer ride, then got in a Gilad session and hung out with Ivan until time to go to a jewelry party, where I bought the perfect earrings to get me through summer.

Watching Zombieland. Woody Harrelson has made so many important contributions to film.

Tuesday: Trainer Ride

It seems that the majority of my day was frittered away on the various difficulties of the terrible twos. Ivan threw his food on the floor and cried when he was made to face consequences and pick up his food. He fretted and fussed and had a temper fit that resulted in his throwing everything he could get his hands on until I tackled him. This was honestly hours of my day, and I have never seen a child I was more happy to put down for his nap or leave so I could go into work for a few hours.

Now before I went into work, I got in a trainer ride with a Spinervals DVD. I am slowly but surely beginning to really like Coach Troy. It was an hour long, and I really enjoyed the mileage. Maybe I am enjoying it, because I am not running until my half-ironman. The bike doesn't feel like a huge imposition after a run, since I am not running. I might even do it again tomorrow after swim, because I am enjoying it.

I didn't do any yoga today, but I did go to Yogurt World!!!!!

Pic of me and friends at my post-Boston dinner!!

Monday: Swim and Gilad

So last night, I stayed up really late with my headlamp on my head reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I also created an outfit set on Polyvore for Lispeth Salander, which is the name of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I also created an outfit set for Olive Kittridge ( if you hit the arrow on the side of Lisbeth's outfit, the Olive Kittridge outfit is next and has a girl lookin gout over a lake) and I have to say it is really satisfying.

Find me on Polyvore Anyway, Polyvore outfit sets for the characters in books that I am reading is my new delve into dorkdom, and I love it. I could not find a wasp tattoo to add to this set, because the wasp and the dragon are important as the dragon is the namesake of the book and the wasp is Lisbeth's hacker name. I am positively shuddering at my nerdiness.

This morning, Ivan and I were up in the pouring rain to get to swim. I was actually reasonably on time (by which I mean only 15 minutes late), but of course it was the day that our coach had to leave 15 minutes early for a job interview.

a) I hate to stop my workout before 10:00 AM. It just feels unfinished.

b) I do not like Stephen graduating from college or going on job interviews, as this means he is going to leave and who will coach us then???

Workout as follows:

• 50 warmup
• 4 x 75
• 4 x 50 (odds fast, evens easy)
• 4 x 25 breakout (which means: swim fast at the beginning, and slow at the end)
• 4 x 75
• 4 x 50 (odds fast, evens easy)
• 4 x 25 breakout
• 400 kick
• 3 x 200 pull

This was only 2200 meters, but a reasonably good workout. I think I will hit morning swim on Wednesday as well.

At home, I cleaned and folded and cooked before getting in a Gilad workout and way overeating for lunch. I managed to put down some serious mexican calories before I even knew what happened. It happened so fast. Dr. Perricone would CRY.

Anyway, I headed into to work and am about to curl up with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It is getting both scarier and closer to the end. I have already ordered the second book in the trilogy. The author Stieg Larrson died after completing the third manuscript. He had a massive heart attack and left all of his estate to the communist workers party. Hhhmmmm. Not quite in line with my politics I fear, but at least not a vicitim of the atrocious crimes in his book!!

Sunday: My First Sunday Swim in a Month

As of today, all my Boston soreness is gone. Only 6 days out and I am without soreness. Thrilling. Is this the joy of proper training and tapering? I will totally have to try it again!!

Anyway, today was also the day I got to go back to Sunday swim. I like Sunday swim, because it is long course and I get to see everyone and catch up. There are more people in the lanes, because long course means fewer lanes. I have not been for a month, because Sunday was my day off. You know what, though? I probably need to skip next week and do a bike ride or nothing. I guess I am really already tapering for the REV 3. Hmmmm.

I enjoyed swim however, and got in 3000 meters. Thrilling. Workout as follows:

• 400 warmup
• 4 x 75 (kick/drill/swim)
• 10 x 50 swim
• 300 pull
• 3 x 100 swim
• 4 x 50
• 300 pull
• 3 x 100 swim
• 4 x 50 (get out and jump in to start the even 50's)
• 100 cool down

Great swim and watching Up In The Air, and cannot put down The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Pic of me in front of the Museum of Modern Art in Boston!!

Saturday: Boston Video and a Trainer Ride

So, I must say that I am most pleased with myself for figuring out how to get video uploaded to my blog!!! It is thrilling. I have six seconds of me running. I am in the gray/black shorts with white trim and a white long sleeve t-shirt. In the background of this footage, you can see the dastardly devil doing cartwheels in the background. Anyway, it is so cool and you can hear the crowd yelling and sort of get the whole feel for the marathon!!

In other news, today was the Music City Marathon, but the weather was so bad that they threatened to pull all marathoners off the course if they were not finished in 5 hours. I did not go down and watch, but reveled in my first Saturday in a long time to sleep late and drink coffee and surf the internet. It was lovely.

When Ivan went down for his nap, I climbed onto the trainer to do a Spinervals workout, which felt really good actually. It was quite hard, but it was an hour long workout and I think I went 15 miles. I have to ride 50 miles in my half-iron man, or maybe it is 62, and I got in a 15 mile ride today. This does not bode well, friends. Not at all. I will make it right?

Friday: Back in the Saddle

So today, I loafed into swim and swam about 2000 yards. It took me 4:00 minutes to swim 200 meters. For the love, I am so slow and I have a half-ironman in two weeks. I am completely ridiculous. Anyway, workout as follows:

• 100 warmup
• 12 x 50 swim/ drill
• 4 x 50 (1/2 fast-25 slow-1/2 fast)
• 4 x 200 swim
• 2 x 150 pull

I felt good swimming and I felt it was great for my body, but I was undeniably slow. I am clearly still recovering, and I MUST tell myself that the REV 3 is going to be a fun Mother's Day treat and not a major competitive event. This is OK. It is not a sin or a crime or even anything that disparages my character.

After swim, I picked up Ivan in the gym nursery, where he apparently had been throwing things for the entire two hours and had actually spit on the floor when he was reprimanded. I was informed that he was "very strong willed".

After swim in a daring move that bordered on the foolish, I took Ivan to lunch with me and a group of friends. He was actually pretty well-behaved under the circumstances. My most brilliant move was to let Ivan have his bottle when we were seated at our restaurant table. He was so thrilled to see his bottle, that he held his bottle in one hand and patted me lovingly with his other hand. I have rarely seen him so contented as when he was handed a bottle under ordinary circumstances. Normally we reserve it for comfort in situations of massive physical injury or an afternoon when there has been no nap and the witching hour has begun.

We then hit the Godiva shop to reward ourselves for a lunch well done. Now, because I am dumb with a capital D, I did not notice that Ivan was eye level with the self-serve bins of chocolates. SO, as I was choosing my own poison, Ivan was stuffing his mouth with chocolates from the the self-served bins. He managed to get through $3 worth of chocolates. Impressive right? There was chocolate drool running out of his mouth, and it was a chocolate disaster reminscent of my post-Valentines chocolate disaster when Ivan ate all my half-price Valentine's candy making me so mad that I was forced to shake my fist and number myself amongst the worlds' most oppressed citizens.

At home, Ivan had a nap and a swim and our sitter arrived in time for us to head out to the world's greatest dinner party with my husband's grandmother. 93 and more amazing than you and I will ever be!!!

Pic is me in front of Paul Revere's statue on the Freedom Trail in Boston.

THursday: Not Even A Thing

So, today, I am four three days out from my biggest race and I am still in recovery mode. I slept as late as possible, I had some cereal, I met my mom for lunch and hitSephora. At home, I unpacked and cleaned and started on the massive laundry situation that is always brewing after a vacation. At home I watched my Thursday night lineup (there were two 30 Rocks tonight. THRILLING!!) and read lots of books to Ivan. What a great night!!!

Also, confession, I have stopped reading A Tale of Two Cities. It was pretty good, but I lost the book temporarily and in its absence I started reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is absolutely fascinating, and I just can't put it down. Maybe, I will get back with Dickens later.

I am hitting the pool tomorrow and am posting pics of Ivan's eye healing up 6 days later!! Feels so good to see him back to his old self!!!

My Greatest Disappointment: I am Unphotogenic in Race Pictures

Can we just discuss the fact that my race pictures are never attractive. NEVER. They are ALWAYS slack jawed and grimacing. You should see them. I usually delete them from my computer as soon as they arrive, the misfortune is that I can never erase them from my mind. I spend all this time working out, plucking my eyebrows, fake tanning and picking out the perfect race outfit, only to look truly hideous in EVERY picture. Can I not get one well-posed attractive shot of myself to place merrily in a frame in a prime photo position in my home? Is it too much to ask?

Wednesday: Back from Boston

So, can I just say that while I was gone, I was totally blogsick. I kept wanting to make a note of things and talk about my day, but we did not have easy internet connection, and it just didn't work out as planned. There are so many things to tell!!!

For one, Boston is just a madhouse during marathon weekend, but still rather easy to navigate. Packet pickup was simply teeming with people, the line to buy merchandise was honestly 200 yards long. I feel like I have to leave the rest out, and get right to the race.

So the night before the race, I didn't sleep very much at all, especially after the hotel security system erupted at midnight. I drifted in and out of sleep until about 4:00 AM, as which point I gave up and got out of bed and paced around my hotel bathroom until room service delivered my oatmeal. Now, I love myself some oatmeal in the morning, but I pretty much choked it down. I was just a bundle of nerves, for many reasons. The logistics of Boston are a nightmare, because it is a point-to-point race and you have to catch some sort of transportation (be it the Boston Marathon sanctioned school buses or a bus of your own hiring) to truck you all the way out to Hopkinton by 7:00 AM for a race that does not start until sometime after 10:00 AM. There is lots of standing around and waiting to wait some more, and let's not even discuss the port-a-john lines.

So, I was a bundle of nerves about the whole deal. I was panicked that I would not be able to hail a cab on the busy Boston Marathon morning. I was panicked that I would not get to my bus on time and that I would have no choice but to hitchhike a ride with a serial killer or worse or jog the 26 miles to Hopkinton to start the race with 20 miles already under my belt for the morning. So many ridiculous thoughts ran through my head while I was choking down my oatmeal: What if I got lost on the way to my corral? What if I forgot to set my Garmin right? What if my shoes come untied? What if they did not hand out Gu (which they did not, so it was lucky that I brought my own)?

Anyway, it all went off without a hitch. The doorman hailed me a cab before I even asked for one. I got to my bus 15 minutes early. I packed everything I needed. I got to my corral easily.

Now the corral situation is CRAZY. There are 25,000 runners at least, and they are all roped off all over the downtown of Hopkinton. The start line was so far in front of me that I never heard the gun go off. The only thing that told me the race had started was that far in the distance, I could see heads begin bobbing. After I saw heads bobbing in the distance, it took about 10 minutes before I got to start running. Having run only tiny marathons in the past (I mean honestly, in Huntsville, about 25 of us line up on the starting line and run real fast), Boston was a behemoth.

Now, for once in my life, I started a marathon at a slower beginning pace. I ran eight-ish minute miles before I started lowering my mile times, and I am telling you I just had a lovely run. I stopped to go to the bathroom behind a fire truck at mile 1.5ish. And, in a new twist on my running style, I stopped and walked EVERY Gatorade stop after mile five. I stayed well hydrated, and it was a nice break.

After that, it was a just a nice long run. The crowds were intense and just super drunk in most spots. There was never a dry spot in terms of crown support, it was at least three people deep the whole way. THREE PEOPLE DEEP FOR 26.2 MILES. At Wellesley and Boston College, I thought that I was going rock concert deaf. It was THAT loud.

Starting slower really helped me, and it kept my splits relatively even for the whole marathon. I was able to speed up hills, and can I just tell you that I barely noticed Heartbreak Hill. It was nothing compared to the altitude situation that your average Nashville run gives you.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. I PRed. It was my best race ever. I felt great the whole time, AND I think I could have run a little faster. I ran a 3:26. (you can click on the link and see my splits) This was the first marathon that I had actually trained for, and it went great. When I think about it, I did not actually adhere to all the training. I skipped a couple of long runs based on sickness and just not really wanting to do it. I did do the speedwork, and I did consult with a coach who talked sense into me about the reality of tapering (which is a term that I both mistrusted and feared prior to now). Tapering really works, and speed work and coaching were lifesavers.

Anyway, when I turned onto Boylston for the last few hundred yards of the race, I was able to pick up the pace and really run fast. I was not able to run as fast as the guy beside me who started doing CARTWHEELS, whom I have now decided that I greatly disliked. I mean who does that? It is a road race, have respect for the sport and RUN it. Also, I was eventually beaten by the marathon fairy, a Scottish man in a pink tutu with a wand. This is actually the second marathon where I have been beaten by the marathon fairy, and regardless of my PR, it was demoralizing.

Overall, when I finished the marathon, I thought that it was going to be my last, because I haven't had the best running season, I have felt burned out and there is always some level of distaste for running at the end of a marathon. Today, however, two days out, I am thinking that it will happen again next year. I might actually do all the long runs, and taper, and not workout all the time and see if I can get a little faster. Maybe I won't walk all the water stops and maybe I won't start out quite as slowly. Maybe I have a sub 3:20 marathon in me, which begs the question, where does it end?? If I have a sub 3:20, do I have a sub 3:10? Can I break 3, and how much of my life am I willing to compromise. Hhhhmmm.

Tomorrow: I take another day off and waxing poetic about how there is not ONE picture of me where I look great running. I am usually rocking a death grimace and a slack jaw. You should see the professional Boston Marathon pics. They are heinous, and I even had a coordinated outfit and pigtail hairstyle.

Pics are from Boston Harbor, right before we boarded our water taxi to head to the airport.

Friday: Trauma, Run and Four Days Until Boston

So this morning, I was enjoying my last at home morning of tapering. I had some tea and cereal, and was getting ready to take a light jog as my tapering schedule said when Ivan came chasing after me, lost his footing and hit his face on the iron grate in out hallway. The skin from the outer corner of his eye to his temple was ripped, and he almost immediately had a black eye. It was terrible, so terrible, just the terriblest thing. He was all bleeding and hysterical, and I behaved as I usually do in a crisis.

I grabbed Ivan and ran to the phone. I picked up the phone, hung it up, picked up the phone again, and then hung it up. I started to call 911, then I thought that was too extreme. Then I decided to call the doctor's office, so I picked up the phone again. The doctor's office number was in my cell phone, so I hung up the phone again and grabbed my cell phone, got in touch with the Dr.'s office, and loaded Ivan up to see the doctor so that they could make a decision about whether or not we needed to go to the ER and see someone in "plastics". This was apparently their lingo for a plastic surgeon.

Now the best part of this story is that I had weaned Ivan off his bottle right before Easter. He has been pretty stoic about it, but he wistfully mentions his bottle every once in a while. Today, while he was hysterical with a bleeding gash and a quickly forming black eye, I pulled out a bottle and filled it with milk. Ivan immediately quit crying, and he did not cry again until they held him down on the table and sewed him up.

Holding Ivan down on the table while they sewed him up was just about the worst experience I have ever had. Just the worst. I typically have a heart of stone, but I shed many many tears.

Back at home, I got in a run, but was quite exhausted due to the mental exhaustion of Ivan's accident. Also, I felt like I had had a huge adrenaline surge that drained my body. It wasn't the worst run ever, but I didn't feel all that rested.

I spent the rest of the day packing, and we are ready to head to Boston!!!

Thursday: Bike, Yoga and 5 Days Until Boston

Now today, I have done some serious nothing. I woke up and headed out to pick up some cereal, because I love the grocery store in the morning. It is completely deserted, and they make a coffee that is akin to the rec center coffee that I love (all watery and sad). There is a lot of help and absolutely NO ONE in front of you at the checkout. I LOVE IT.

At home, I had my cereal and talked to my mom and my sister, before bustling Ivan out the door for a walk where he got filthy and had to be physically tackled in order to be caught and taken home to be put into the bath. After a bath, Ivan headed to swim to practice his jumping and his swimming. He was an absolute champion, but started getting wild and running and I had no choice but to physically tackle him and restrain him into his diaper for the ride home. Sometimes, I think that half of my relationship with my child is comprised of counting to three, physically tackling and then doling out consequences. It is rather exhausting.

At home, I got in a bike ride, headed to work, and then out with friends for my Boston Marathon send off. Such fun. I only have to run a bit tomorrow and then pack like a madman.

Wednesday: 2000 Yards, Weight Work and 6 Days to Boston

This morning, I hit the pool for my final swim before Boston. It was 2000 yards of paddling about and kicking, and it felt like not much of anything. It has been a really weird week in that I haven't really slept well or been very hungry. For instance, twice this week, I have skipped lunch without realizing it. I just didn't notice.

Now, normally, my day is a constant graze. I am constantly chewing on something or preparing something to eat or opening the refrigerator and wishing that something amazing to eat would just materialize in front of me. It is actually rather freeing to not have the constant food thing going on, though I do like to eat, and I rather miss my trail mix love affair that has really just stalled out this week.

Also, I haven't slept well. It takes me a while to fall asleep, but I am weirdly well-rested in the morning despite the sleep. Hmmmm, Interesting. Not only do I have more time because I am not swimming and running as much, I have more time because I am not always fixing something to eat or eating or sleeping.

On that note, I have not really been more productive. I haven't knitted up a storm like I thought I would or written my novel or planted a vegetable garden, which takes me back to an old suspicion that I have about myself: The more I have to do, the more I get done.

Pic is of my siblings and I on Easter!!

Guilty Pleasure: Justified

In this particular epistle from the Land of Dork, I feel like I need to fess up about my current guilty pleasure. Justified is just about the best TV drama going in my opinion. There are lots of great cameos (Cameron from Ferris Bueller). Timothy Olyphant, as Rayland Givens, is totally cute, and is such a character with his overdone accent, cowboy hat, and his big line which is, "If I see you again, I'll kill you".

The whole premise of the series is that Rayland Givens finally got out of his Kentucky coal mining town to work as a federal marshall in Miami. While in Miami, he gives his big "I'll kill you" line to a low life drug lord type, then pulls out his gun at a poolside restaurant and is true to his word. It is actually pretty hardcore for TV. Anyway, for this public killing which may not be completely "justified", Rayland Givens is punished by having to move back to Kentucky and work in his hometown as a federal marshall if he wants to keep his job.

Rayland drags his feet and complains, but ends up back in Kentucky dealing with meth heads, skin heads, girls who have had lifelong crushes on him, his appalachian looking family, and a bunch of killing and gun fighting. It is great. GREAT.

Also, Timothy Olyphant was a college swimmer, and he seems quite tall, and I love how he has great lines to say when he is staring down a gun. The theme song is positively fierce. I mean there is a slight chance that I love the show, because of the theme song. I encourage you to watch it.

Tuesday: Final Speed Session, Yoga, and 6 Days Until Boston

I really do hate getting up for Speed Sessions, but today's was really lovely as I got to cut the workout down to less than half in honor of my tapering. Also, Mark Miller (THE GREAT), told me to run the miles at my planned marathon race pace. So, I ran with Mary Taylor Gallagher, who was lots of fun and totally conversational. How much do I love a conversational run? Love it. I mean last week, during the 800's, I was heaving. This week, I was jogging and chatting like it was the laziest of Saturdays. So pleasant.

In fact, I was thinking this morning, while Mary Taylor and I were chat chat chatting away that I might sign up for summer speed sessions just for the heck of it, just to make sure that I get in a good early workout. When I think about it, it is just $50 for the whole program. This actually seems like a good deal for what seems like an interminable amount of Tuesdays where I wake up at 5:20 AM filled with loathing. Most likely, I will be rethinking the summer speed session situation. Most likely.

At home, I headed into Bible study and them home for a nap before heading into Green Hills to do some jeans shopping with my parents. At home, I got in a yoga session and dinner, before heading to Yogurt World, where I made a terrible mistake.

Yogurt World always has about ten different flavors to choose from. I completely ignore the tart flavors because they are gross, and honestly why bother with frozen treats that are not chocolate? Anyway, I mixed up in my head that a Snickerdoodle flavor would be like a Cake Batter flavor, only to find that it was more cinamony and is was most unfortunate when mixed with my usual chocolates. You take gambles at Yogurt World. You have to know when to walk away. It didn't ruin me on Yogurt World, and at least it was double punch night which means that I am only four Yogurt Worlds away from a free yogurt.

Monday: Taper Swim and 7 days to Boston

Confession: I was also supposed to do a run today, and after I got home from work, it just didn't happen. Last night, my plan was to get up early and do my run, before going to swim and this is what people who organize their lives and get out of bed at an appropriate hour do. I had trouble getting to sleep, so I stayed up late reading A Tale of Two Cities and knitting and then slept late enough to have to dash out the door to swim and then not really get there in time, which really didn't matter because I am TAPERING. TAPERING TAPERING TAPERING. Swim workout as follows:

• 8 x 50 swim/ drill
• 8 x 25 swim
• 6 x 100 IM
• 6 x 50 swim
• 200 easy swim
• 200 pull

I could only swim 2000 meters today. I got into the shower early and then got to the nursery in time to see Ivan chasing around with a toy dinosaur roaring at everyone. It was pretty hysterical, but I think the nursery staff was pretty pleased to see him go. I get the impression that he runs about roaring most of the time he is there.

Anyway, at home, I was going to run, but it was the scary time where Ivan might fall asleep in the jog stroller, and I gave him lunch, put him to bed for his nap, and just hung out until I headed in to work. It was nice. Super nice.

My last speed session is tomorrow and then, I may never get up before 6:00 AM again. Just to let you know.

Watching Fracture.

Picture of Ivan riding his Giraffe Cow

Sunday: Lovely Run and Boston is Eight Days Away

I slept so late this morning. It was lovely, though Ivan and I had to scramble to get to church this morning. As we were scrambling, Ivan pooped in the shower and spilled water on the bathroom floor, and then stood on the back of the toilet and suddenly services were starting without us.

Now, I finally got my run in at around 6:30 PM, and it might have been one of the nicest runs I have ever had. Evening Spring weather is such a nice cool run. I got in 6.5 miles at a reasonable taperish pace and just thoroughly enjoyed myself.

At home, I gave Ivan a bath and we again had a pooping incident. It is apparently just one of those days. I gave up and confession: I had Yogurt World for dinner.

Now, tomorrow, my taper schedule says that I should run for about 45 minutes and only do 45 minutes of my swim. I can only swim 2000 yards. What the what? I am at a loss, truly at a loss. Do I just get in the pool and paddle around and then come home? This will be an interesting week, and I am going to get in a lot of knitting and such. I might even polish all my knee boots.

Also, I can't hike with the Bambino Brigade on Wednesday, so I might go to the mall and just putz around; just have myself some Teavana and finally buy myself a Bugaboo cup holder. I have wanted one since the summer, and I just haven't had the time. Life holds so many possibilities when you are tapering. Adventures, luxuries, and more, I have time for it all!!!!

Pic of Ivan in his sheet tent made with two dining room chairs.

Saturday: Sabotage and I Am 9 Days Out From Boston

The crux of today was that my workout prescribed that I do an easy 7ish mile run. It was supposed to happen in the afternoon, as this would simulate my Boston start time. Now, because of the events of the weekend, I had to run with Ivan in the jog stroller. Seven miles with the jog stroller is not my favorite thing, but it was my only option.

Now, I had to wait until after Ivan's nap to put him in the jog stroller. If you are so foolish as to put Ivan in the jog stroller before his nap, he will fall asleep, refuse to nap during his scheduled nap time, stay fractiously awake for the rest of the day, and ruin your evening and maybe your life. There is NOTHING worse than an un-napped two year old. Also, Ivan is fulfilling all my dreams of parenthood by taking three hour naps if I play my cards right, and I will not compromise playing my cards right.

So, after Ivan woke up from his nap, we went to run. I packed him into the jog stroller and put my iphone in the phone carrier on the stroller so that I could listen to Angels and Demons while I ran. I got the run off to a good start, but no more than two miles in, Ivan learned how to get out of his jog stroller harness. I was running and all of the sudden, Ivan's head came popping up above the stroller roll bar. He was standing on his seat and trying to climb out the top, and when that did not work, he reached forward to grab the front wheel. No amount of threatening, re-harnessing, counting to three, or bribery did any good. He just kept standing up.

For this reason, I will have to get the run in tomorrow somehow, as if I didn't have anything else planned for my day off.

Book Report: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout has written three books, Amy and Isabelle, Abide with Me and Olive Kitteridge. I have read each book, not because I had any real desire to read them, but because they were given to me. Amy and Isabelle was rather sad, and Abide With Me was great, but also rather sad. Olive Kitteridge won the Pulitzer Prize, and I have to say that I think it was deserved. Though, in the tradition of her other books, it was not a happy book.

Different than the other books, Olive Kitteridge followed a hard and opinionated woman through her life in her small New England town. She is tall and sturdily built, a teacher at the local high school. She speaks plainly at all times, oftentimes when her opinion is not asked. Some people in the town openly hate her and others have glimpsed her compassion. Olive's portrait is pieced together through short story vingettes that reveal others in the town as well as Olive herself. The most poingent and painful story that is told trhoughotu the book are Olive's interactions with her only son. We see these interactions when her son is young and then when he marries for the first time and again for the second time. In the final vingette between Olive and her son, which becomes a confrontation, we see the culmination of the groundwork that she she laid in their relationship and it is terrifying.

The greatest thing that I would say about Olive Kitteridge is that it explores the hard and easy elements of aging and of aging with your spouse. Things you say that you can't take back, the way your children's actions affect your relationships with your friends, and how important your sex life remains.

Parts of this book were hard to read, but I certainly found it to be the strongest of Elizabeth Strout's books. She was able to show the beauty and joy that remain possible throughout our lives if we have the correct spirit in pursuing it. Over and over this triumphant element came through the hardships and the difficult lives that were portrayed in the book.

Also, Elizabeth Strout used some beautiful phrases in the book. For instance, when Angie, the piano player in a local night spot, hears cruel words from an ex-boyfriend, she understands that while many people comfort themselves with bitterness, "it is a thin milk, this form of nourishment."

When I was half-way through this book, I would not have recommended it, but after finishing it, it is a triumph and a must. Also, it is a super fast read!!

Also, this is the outfit I made for Olive on polyvore!!!

Olive Kittridge by Betsy Sloan featuring Dansko shoes

Ribbed Edged Cardi
$65 - topshop.com
More TopShop cardigans »

White Long Sleeve Shirt
6 GBP - peacocks.co.uk
More blouses »

Long Drapey Skirt
27 GBP - debenhams.com
More Alexon skirts »

Bleuforet Combed Jersey Tights
$15 - stevenalan.com
More tights »

Dansko 'Professional' Denim Clog
$130 - nordstrom.com
More Dansko clogs »

Women's Handbags, Tote Bags & Purses at Lands' End
$168 - landsend.com
More tote bags »

Ladies Accent watch
105 GBP - koodos.com
More Calvin Klein watches »

Kate Spade Cluster Stud
$65 - piperlime.gap.com
More Kate Spade earrings »

Lucida® Wedding band ring
$850 - tiffany.com
More rings »

Lovely Vintage Leonard Paris 1980s White Studded Sunglasses
68 GBP - love-worn.com
More sunglasses »

sitting on the dock ~xoxoxo~♥ me
kodakgallery.eu.com

Friday: Swim and Gilad and Easter Candy Triumph

Oh guess who has not had one piece of Easter candy today? C'est moi!! C'est moi!! I really can't quit patting myself on the back about it, and I feel like I need a reward or some such. A reward. I love a reward.

This morning, I made a great smoothie for myself and Ivan. I gave him his smoothie in a kiddie cup and was loading up the car, when I turned around to see that Ivan had poured smoothie into the palm of his hand and run it through his hair like mousse or gel or some such. After a quick scrub down and loading the both of us into the car, we made it to swim, slightly late, but I still got in 2600 meters. I photographed the workout today, so I am posting it in a picture.

At home, Ivan took a three hour nap and I can't even tell you how fabulous it was. I wasted time and snacked on trail mix and when Ivan woke up, he sat on the couch snacking on pistachios and groggily watching me do a Gilad workout.

Ivan and I had dinner with my parents at the California Pizza Kitchen, and it was super delicious. I had the Miso Salad with chicken instead of crabmeat.

Now, the big story for today is that I don't have to get up early tomorrow, because I don't have to do much of anything this week. Boston is 10 days away and I am pretty much tapering my life away until the race. I can't even hike with the Bambino Brigade on Wednesday based on my schedule of taking it seriously easy. Tomorrow, I am supposed to run 6-7 miles in the afternoon and nothing else; Not one other thing, and I have to take Sunday completely off. COMPLETELY OFF.

I swear, I can finish up my knitting project and make pancakes tomorrow and I might not even need a nap. What in the world? I won't even recognize myself.

Thursday: Run, Bike, Yoga and I Have Almost Completely Eradicated Easter Candy From my LIfe

Oh, Easter Candy, whither did thou get such a hold on me? I am deep deep into an Easter Candy hole. I thought I was over it, and then there was a basket of malted strawberry eggs at work today. I did manage to shy away from the locally made Cocoa Tree peanut butter truffles today, though Tuesday it was a different story. Tomorrow, I plan to avoid Easter candy all together and maybe hit Yogurt world in the evening. Maybe.

I feel better now that I have confessed my Easter candy issues. I can move on to today's workout. Though I overslept a little bit, I did get in a 7 mile run where I was forced to stop my watch so that I could stop to go to the bathroom (too much coffee, too much tea, too much water and orange juice) and when I started running again, I forgot to restart my watch. It is one of my most common frustrations. I always have to go to the bathroom, and I always forget to restart my watch. Then, I end up hopping up from public urination, running a mile or so before realizing that I haven't reset my watch, cursing to myself, restarting my watch and feeling more than irritated.

I did get the run in, and I then had to hustle Ivan off to his two year check-up. I love Ivan's pediatrician, Dr. Bastian at Heritage Medical if you are interested, and we had great talks about Ivan's eating habits and the interesting things that he is reading. When your child is well and quite small, a checkup at the pediatrician's office is basically a social call. So it was lovely! We then hit the grocery and I headed home to get in lunch and a shower before heading to work.

At home, I got in a yoga session before making salmon pasta with the amazing smoked salmon we were given as an Easter gift. It was delicious. I need to put the recipe on my blog as it is life changing.

After dinner and putting Ivan Sloan to bed, I climbed onto the bike and got in a ride while watching Kris Kristofferson's Biography on A&E. He has 8 children and he met his third wife at the gym.

Such a big day, and only 5 contestants left on Project Runway!!!

Wednesday: Gilad and Swim

Now this morning, I woke up and loaded Ivan up into the car to meet the Bambino Brigade. However, there are two parking lots at Radnor Lake where we hike, and I parked at the usual one, forgetting that we had planned to park in the other as there is more parking at that one. By the time I figured out my parking mix-up and what not, the Bambino Brigade was long gone and Ivan and I just ran errands. Since I had all the extra time, one of my errands was to head to Green Hills mall and go to Teavana. Now, I have to say that I loved having the free time, and I am looking forward to finishing up with Boston and the half-ironman that follows and having a copious amount of free time. I can just see myself galavanting to the mall and lolling away hours in bookstores. It will be all kinds of great.

At home, I got in a Gilad workout, didn't have to work today, so made a grocery list and did enough laundry to have set up my own wishy washy. It was a lot of laundry.

Functioned a little better on the Easter candy front, except for a minor meltdown at the bank where there was a whole bowl of malted chocolate Easter eggs. Why? Why? I swear, it is worse that Halloween.

Off to swim and workout as follows:

• 20 minute warmup
• FINS: 10 Seconds Rest throughout set
• 6x50 on back
• 8x25 LONG underwater streamlines swim easy to wall on 40 sec
• 4x50 fist drill
• 8x25 LONG underwater streamlines swim easy to wall on 40 sec
• 2x50 shark fin/high hand
• 8 x 50 Catch up Quick Drill- FAST SWIMMING
• 3 x 500 pull

Pic of Ivan and Rye on Easter Sunday!!

Tuesday: Speed Session and Yoga - 13 days to the Boston Marathon

This morning, at 5:17 AM, I lay looking at my alarm clock desperately concerned about my heart condition. Desperately concerned. I, in fact, laid in bed until 5:27 AM wondering if I should go to my track workout with such a grave heart condition. It seems that I woke myself up out of a deep dream where I was having my heart reshaped to look like a strawberry. The doctor had just been in to tell me whether or not I could go to track workout, and he was called away rather suddenly. So there I was lying in my bed, without the advice of my doctor, trying to make a learned decision about how to proceed with my post-op track workout. Also, a guy from my high school was there and he had cartoon long legs. Honestly, I was late to track workout, because it took me a serious while to figure out if I had actually had some sort of heart procedure or no.

It was more than bizarre or maybe just indicative of the loathing with which I approached today's track workout. Now, thrilling, when I I talked to good ole Mark Miller, he told me that I did not need to do the whole workout, because I was tapering. I am officially 13 days out from the Boston Marathon, and I am beginning to taper. Interesting, most Boston workouts advocate a two week taper as opposed to a three week taper. The idea is that if you have qualified for Boston, you should be in shape enough not to need a three week taper and to the extra week of harder training to be competitive in the race.

So, today's workout went at follows:

• one mile warm-up
• 6 x 800 at a 3:02 pace
• 400 jog in between each 800
• mile cool down

This ended up being about 6 and a half miles. Now, if I were not tapering, I would have had to run 8 x 800. I was so pleased to only do six. It felt like Mark Miller had given me a gift, a fabulous gift at 6:00 in the morning. Now, Mark Miller, is a rather reserved individual, and I felt pretty sure he did not want a huge bear hug from me, but that is how exuberant I felt.

At home, Bible Study was cancelled due to Spring Break and I sat on the couch surfing the internet and drinking coffee. I headed in to work and got home to find that I am feeling a bit ill based on my Easter candy ingestion. There is candy at work, and I have eaten a lot of it. A whole lot. My whole system is not used to this large a volume of candy. Tonight is double punch night at Yogurt World (which means I get two punches towards a free yogurt instead of just one), and I did not feel like going.

This Easter Candy situation ends now, before I end up like a kid from Willy Wonka or in a diabetic coma. No candy tomorrow, yogurt world tomorrow night.

Monday: Swim, Gilad and Run

This morning, I managed to drag myself out of my Easter candy coma at a reasonable hour. I had a cup of strong green tea and a cup of coffee and my smoothie, before Ivan roused himself. Now, something I will say about waking up the morning after a difficult day with your child, if you can have a few moments of quiet with a cup of coffee to remind yourself that you do indeed love your child, life looks infinitely better.

When Ivan did wake up, he was totally pleasant and seemed very pleased to be going to the gym nursery. I missed the first set of swim, but the rest of the workout is as follows:

• 100 warm-up
• 3 x 100 swim @ 1:40
• 8 x 25 swim
• 3 x 100 IM
• 8 x 25
• 3 x 200 swim
• 8 x 50 IM drill
• 3 x 200 IM
• 4 x 50 swim
• 4 x 100 kick

So, I am pretty pleased about this yardage, and the IM's made for a pretty hardcore workout. No joke, I was heaving at the end of the fly portion of the 200 IM's.

At home, I got in a Gilad workout, a run and the rest of the Easter treats. I mean seriously, have I NO SHAME, that I have to binge like I had been on some lenten fast? I did not even give up anything for lent this year.

Also, Ivan has recently begun enjoying The Cat in the Hat, and I most relate to the fish. My favorite thing that the fish says is ..."Do I like this? Oh, no! I do not." I find myself saying this often, and I am already saying this in anticipation of my track workout tomorrow.

8 x 800's

Sunday: Easter

I must say that today was a whirlwind of Easter egg hunts, sugar highs, lost naps, tantrums and too much coffee. I think, if I am rating stressful holidays, I might rate Easter the most stressful. The thing with Christmas, is that on Christmas day, you are not really expected to look great. There is some acceptance to spending a day in pajamas with cup of coffee and not going anywhere, even though there is all the shopping and the cooking and the what not. Thanksgiving is generally one large afternoon meal. There is no reason to get up at the crack of dawn and make a desperate attempt to look great and make your child look great before 8:00 AM.

Easter involves getting up early to get to church with your child and husband all in church clothes. Church is extra crowded, so communion takes extra long, and Ivan got extra antsy and had to be taken out. We then had to load up in the car and drive out to pick up my husband's grandmother, before heading out to my parent's house for lunch. All this needs to be accomplished while looking lovely. It is stressful. Stressful indeed.

After a few hours, my dress was pinching and my coffee was wearing off and this was just about the time than Ivan starting tantruming and spazzing out at the height of his sugar rush before passing out in his car seat on the way home. It made for a long day.

You would think a car seat nap would make Ivan a happier child, but he was so ridiculously irritable when he finally woke up, that I ended up giving him a bottle, just to keep him quiet. I have never been happier to put someone in bed and contemplate life alone on a desert island.

Contemplating life alone on a desert island was all I could do to block out contemplating the amount of Easter candy and desserts I had eaten. I mean honestly, I stopped the madness at 9:30 PM with a handful of malted chocolate eggs.

Saturday: It Appears I Am Starting an Early Taper

This morning, I was up before my alarm went off, which I always think is a good sign. My evening ended quite early last night and I was in bed with a book by 9:00 PM and asleep before 10:00 PM. I felt like Benjamin Franklin or a 90 year old, but in a good way. Ultimately, it needs to be done more often, as I am all around a bit more lovely inside and out when I have a good night's sleep.

Anyway, I needed to get in a 15 mile run today, which I was completely prepared to do, until it started raining. I ran the first few miles feeling fine, but pretty gripey about the wind. The wind. The wind. The wind. Why will it be so windy in the spring? The wind was bad, until it started raining in the middle part of the run. This was worse. The wind and the rain was an unfortunate situation, until it started raining horizontal and I was just soaked to the skin. Then the thunder and the lightning and I bailed at 10.7 miles.

I wasn't sure that I was going to bale, so I stopped under a shelter where a pleasant and reserved Englishman opened my Shot Blocks for me. (He was not training for anything - "I just like to run" he said in what I would call a slightly annoyed voice, nor had he read Born to Run, nor did he seem inclined to read it. And Honestly, why did I ask? It was 7:00 in the morning.)

I could have held off on the Shot Blocks as I decided to throw in the towel just three miles later. The rain was killing me and I looped towards the car, from where I needed to tack on 4.2 more miles, and I bailed. Small amount of mileage really, you would think I could have pounded it out, but no. I seem to be inadvertently tapering early.

At home, I lazed around and read The New Yorker. This week there was a super-depressing short story which I will not even tell you about, and there was an article on Polyvore. It is this interesting social networking website where you design outfit "set" with clothes that you find in online stores. You publish the sets as you would a facebook post or blog post and online friends can see your outfits. I lost 1.5 hours of my day to it, and loved every minute. If for some reason, I am taken ill and confined to my bed, I fully plan to Polyvore the time away. Check out my outfit for today!!!