Sunday: Sonoma

After my disasterous morning at Alcatraz, Ivan and I loaded up the car and headed up to Sonoma for a couple of days.  The sun and the pool and the great playroom were enough enticement for me to drive the 45 minutes from San Francisco.

Now, I have gotten rather lucky on this trip.  Ivan's sleep schedule is off, which usually means EPIC drama.  On this trip, however, it has meant that he falls asleep every time he gets in his car seat.

Sunday morning in Sonoma was just lovely.  Ivan woke up early and played endlessly with the massive train table in the playroom while I perused the internet and caught up on my Town & Country, Elle, Vogue and every other glossy mag I have been missing.  Do I need a sequined leopard pencil skirt?? If you said "no", then I'm afraid we can't be friends.

In the afternoon, Ivan and I went for a long walk, which started well and ended badly, when Ivan wailed the whole way home.  Usually, the jog stroller is my dearest friend, but Ivan became unhappy about halfway into the run, and what do you do then??  The only thing left to do is get home, and there is no way to get there but the way you came.  The whole way home, I felt like a terrible mother with Ivan sobbing and sad.  At home, Ivan recovered, and I was able to get in a nice mile-ish swim in the pool.

In the evening, Ivan pushed the jog stroller up and down the driveway, before we had dinner of flank steak, corn pudding, and asparagus.  Secret: our corn pudding was Stouffer's!!  It was just popped out of the plastic and put into a baking dish.  Brilliant!!!  I have filed it away in my memory for future dinners.

Ivan and I hit the sack early and slept like the dead!!

Saturday: Alcatraz - My Ego Took a Hit

Golden Gate Bridge Behind Me

The taller of the two people in green swim caps behind me had swum Alcatraz 211 times!!!!

Ivan and I have been in San Francisco since last Tuesday, away from my computer so no blogging.  I have a borrowed powerbook tonight however, and I am on it.  I'm glad I have the tools tonight, because my ego has taken a massive lump.

A couple of weeks ago, I signed up to swim Alcatraz.  I haven't really mentioned it; really just because I didn't want to frighten my parents. I group Alcatraz into the same group of things (for instance, free basing cocaine, cliff diving, base jumping) that I wouldn't tell them, as there is no need to send anyone into a tail spin of worry.  Having a child of my own, I realize that there are things that can send parents downward spiraling into the drain of worry.

Anyway, I signed up; it was super safe.  There was a boat to take us out to Alcatraz, and three kayakers to follow each group of three people.  I felt good about the whole thing.  I was a little worried about the cold, but I rented a great wetsuit from Endurance.  Honestly, the cold was really my only concern, and this morning when my sister-in-law toted me down to the pier, I was none too nervous.  I ran a bit late, as is my habit, and just felt great.  I read the map wrong and tried to join in with two other groups waiting on the pier, both of which told me they were canceling their swims due to the treacherous conditions.  This did not much phase me.  Anyway, when I finally found my swim group (swim art), we were still on.  Based on my swim times, I was slated to be first off the boat, but I traded positions with Dan, because he had swum from Alcatraz once before.  

The boat ride out to Alcatraz took about ten minutes and everyone chatted and zipped up wetsuits and took pictures.  There was one guy who had swim Alcatraz 211 times since 2007.  Can you believe it??  When the time came to jump off the boat, Leslie, our guide, warned us that the conditions were at a 9.5 on a scale of one to ten for treacherousness.  The boat was pitching so hard that we were all holding the ladder, and I really barely made it up the ladder to jump into the ocean.  

Hitting the water was not really that bad.  I thought I would be chilled to the bone and so shocked by the cold that I would be paralyzed, but this wasn't the case.  I started swimming easily and was surprised at how nice the wetsuit really felt.  Leslie, the guide had talked me out of wearing a neoprene swim bonnet, and she was right.  As the waves really started crashing, however, I started hyper-ventilating.  I couldn't breathe when I put my head under water, I panicked and breast stroked and really just fell apart.  The water was rough, but I can really say that more than anything, I choked.  After swimming a mile, I had to admit defeat and get back in the boat and huddle in the hull with the spectators.  

The swim guide came down and told me and the other swimmers that had gotten out of the water that we could jump back off the boat at the safe buoys and swim to the beach, so that no one would know we had not finished the course.  One woman did jump back in, but I was pretty down about the whole thing.  It seemed absolutely disingenuous to jump back in the water at the safe buoys to swim to the beach, so I refused.  When the boat docked, I had to do a walk of shame all the way down Fisherman's Wharf amongst the tourists wearing my bathing suit and my clog shoes, dragging my wet suit behind me.  

I may honestly never get over the mortification of having to show up at the beach where the other swimmers finished, dragging my wetsuit.  Today, I felt like I was unprepared for my element, though I swim all the time and open water usually once a week.  Also, I felt like I did not respect my element.  I was warned of the conditions, but was determined to continue.  A friend texted me today that it was always better to get out, than drown.  This is true, and I probably should have realized before.  I should have contented myself with a few swims in the beach area, before attempting something like Alcatraz and I had to learn the hard way.  Which seems to be the only way I learn, incidentally.  

 After I got out of the water today, I decided I would never swim in the ocean again.  Tonight, I am thinking that the next time I am in San Francisco, I am going to swim in the safe beach area.  I did not mind the cold water.  I have not ruled out Alcatraz forever, just for now.  My throat is still hoarse and stinging from the salt water.

I am also now officially concerned about my Big Shoulders swim in September, however. Caution is the name of my game from here on out.  If I get there, and the water is gnarly, I might save it for another time.  Better safe than drown!!

Monday: Swim, but it was really about the packing and the trip readying

Pics of Ivan's New Haircut!!!

This morning, I did not take Ivan to swim with me as I thought he would enjoy hanging out at home with his dad in footy pajamas.  Come to think of it, I too would like to hang out at home in footy pajamas and plan to think about the next possible day that I could do such a thing.  It will probably take contracting some sort of horrible illness, because other than that, the time for wearing footy pajamas may have passed me by, friends.

Anyway, I had a really nice swim and I got to stay a little later and swim the whole workout.  Workout as follows:

• 300 warmup
• 8 x 50 swim/drill
• 8 x 25 swim
• 5 x 50 swim fast
• 5 x 50 swim easy
• 5 x 50 swim fast
• 5 x 50 swim easy
• 300 kick
• 3 x 200 pull
• 300 swim

So this was 3000 meters, and I did have to move down into the public lanes after our coach left, but I was pleased to get to finish the workout as I was not under any terrible time crunch to grab Ivan from the nursery.  

I took Ivan to get a haircut before we head out tomorrow, and then I spent the rest of the day getting all packed up and ready to go. Packing for myself and my child is  QUITE and ordeal.  I am quaking in my boots about a plane trip with my child.  

 

I have packed:

• a small bag of unfamiliar toys
• enough candy for the US army, should they need it
• a portable DVD player 
• Calliou:  Ivan's favorite television show
•  The Wizard of Oz - DVD
• Finding Nemo - DVD
• Ice Age - DVD
• Bose headphones, so that Ivan can listen silently
• Doggie AND blanket
• Diapers and Wipes
• Plastic industrial bib

I think that's it, but there is chance that more things will be stuffed into my bag as I drift into full-on panic mode as the countdown to our plane trip gets closer.  

Will let you know how it goes!!

Sunday: Trainer Ride

This Sunday, I couldn't head to the lake because I am totally allergic this time of year.  It is a bummer, and I really missed the lake.  So, I spent this morning eating cold pizza, homemade Lara bars, guzzling tea and coffee and feeling peevish.  I greatly dislike being removed from my routine.

Ivan and I watched a bit of television, and played outside.  I finished up my paperwork and perused Ebay. When I put Ivan down for his nap, I climbed on the trainer and listened to my current ipod selection while reading Coach Troy's lips on a Spinerval DVD.  Why do they not have subtitles?  The DVD's aren't all that low budget, and subtitles would be a huge help as I just almost cannot sit on my trainer with Coach Troy as my only companion.

Anyway, listening to my ipod book was a huge downer.  Loving Frank is just a terrible book about people who make terrible choices and end so terribly;  more terribly than I thought possible.  It seems like when you are listening to a novel about such sad and poorly thought lives, your whole outlook gets sort of squashed.  SO, I would say that I made my trainer ride unnecessarily mentally tedious, and it impacted the whole workout.  It was officially my most unpleasant trainer ride ever.  When I finished my allotted workout, I sat on the couch and irritably watched Project Runway and was pleased to see the right contestant sent home.

Then, my mom came and took Ivan and I to dinner, which made for a great night.  We hit Yogurt World on the way home and took a walk with Ivan in my brand new running shoes!!!  

Painting project is moving right along.

Saturday: Run and Not Much Else

Last night, I went to bed at 8:45 PM like a champion.  It is amazing to me that even when I go to bed at 8:45, I am still a little groggy and resistant when I wake up to go run.  However, I would always much rather be well-rested than not.  Run was a bit weird today as I had to get to the park at 5:50 AM to get a parking space, and then hang around until 6:00 to start the run.  We ran the Westside run, which I thought was 7 miles, but is actually more like 6.3 (Gamin and I are back together).  SO, when we stopped, I ran the 1.6 loop with my friend Kiran and her jog stroller two times, so that it was about 10 miles all together.

I have to say that it is a bit weird after all the marathon training in the winter to get up and only run 10-ish miles.   I have felt rather lazy today as a result, but really 10 miles is not bad.  I didn't do much else today.  Just hung out, went a'visitin with Ivan and had pizza for dinner.

Also, I am embroiled in a bathroom painting project.  The bathroom has needed painting for months and I decided to do the ceiling and the trim as well as the wall.  While the bathroom is a tiny space, the painting is requiring a lot of trim work and there is not enough large space to use a roller.  This is making it a tedious job that can only be accomplished during Ivan's naptimes and bedtime.

I like the idea of a newly painted bathroom, and before I had the baby, I always had a house project going. There is nothing like a house project and a great book on my ipod.  For the purpose of my bathroom project, I downloaded Loving Frank. It is a fiction novel written about the real life affair of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheyney, and it is honestly one of the most frustrating/ terrible books I have EVER EVER read/listened to.  It makes a mockery or women's suffrage and Frank Lloyd Wright seems to be the worst person that has ever existed.  Just wait until I write my book report.  You will be APPALLED.  I can barely even think about a prairie home anymore.

Friday: Swim

Ivan and I made it swim on time today, and I was in the water at 8:40 AM which is great for me.  Gretchen was coaching today, and I have to say that where Dennis and Steven are heavy on yardage, Gretchen is heavy on technique.  So we spent a lot of time kicking without fins and such, counting our strokes and perfecting our breaststroke.  Technique work moves super slowly, and I am pretty sure that we only got in about 2000 yards of swimming.  I feel pretty uncomfortable with less than 3000 yards, so I was a bit bummed to end the workout.  

BUT, it is the Friday before I leave on my impromptu trip to San Francisco and I spent the day:

•  buying travel bottles of my favorite shampoo,
• tracking down grab the gold bars (without which I will not travel)
• getting my outfits ready
• packing Ivan's clothes
• buying travel teas

I also bought something that I had not seen since the last time I went on vacation with my grandparents:  a long box divided into days for holding vitamins.  It is packed and ready to go.  

Just a bit more packing and the iron will that will get me through the rest of my bathroom painting project.  I just need to make it through Monday.  !!

Friday: Run and Pure Barre, but really this is a hair update

I know that based on my blog it may often appear that my interests are working out, gorging myself on self-serve yogurt and my own personal vanity, with an emphasis on hair.  These are definitely amongst my interests, but there are other ones as well.  For instance,

• Sometimes I cook.  
• I enjoy both needlework and knitting.  
• I am teaching my son his ABC's with their corresponding phonetic sounds, and I am pleased to say that it is going relatively well, and I am planning on introducing Tolstoy in a timely fashion.
• I have a collection of plants, including three potted herbs and I enjoy tending them
• I brew my own tea and drink three different kinds each day
• I have been reading The New Yorker each week since I was a Freshman in college
• I think Bob Dylan is the greatest

Anyway, now that I have defended myself on the subject of my interests, I would like to fall back on hair and tell you about my recent breakthrough in my relationship with my hair.  

The last time that I went to get a haircut and hi-lite, Hanna, who cuts my hair, and I were forced to come to terms with the fact that there are some things that are not and will never be sacrosanct.  For instance, you cannot have hi-lites and swim every day and wash your hair everyday. These are three things that do not go together and never will. 

It seemed that with each hi-lited hair cut, I was having to have my hair cut shorter and shorter.  The hi-lites got bleached lighter and lighter in the pool and then became frizzier and frizzier.  My hair was never smooth, never healthy, never shiny.  Heartbreaking.  I do not mean to compare my grief over my hair to the grief experience of someone in a truly tragic situation, but it has been one of my greatest aesthetic blows. 

SO, three things have happened since my great hair hi-lite revelation:  

1. I have stopped hi-liting my hair and gone back to my natural color
2. I am only washing my hair on the four days a week that I swim
3. I am using Pureology shampoo

My swim friend Jamie, told me about Pureology.  She, in fact, emailed me while I was at the lake in all caps to encourage me to run out and get this shampoo.  I do have to say, that it is the best I have used and I really feel that it might because it is a low sulfate shampoo.  Supposedly a low sulphate shampoo lacks the stripping salts that are in regular shampoos and have a drastic effect on your color.  It really leaves my hair completely smooth, yet it doesn't feel weighty.  There is a bit of protein in the conditioner, which I usually try to avoid, but this shampoo and conditioner has been great on my hair.  

Also, I love the website and there is a whole test that you can take to determine which Pureology is right for you.  I am thrilled with my whole hair situation, and I hate not washing my hair every day, but it is better for my scalp and follicles and quite European!!

Wednesday: Swim, Gilad, Yoga, and Wetsuit

   Reasonably on time to swim today!!  Ivan is really enjoying being wheeled into the gym in his stroller, and speed walking while pushing a stroller is a lot faster than coaxing a toddler to keep walking all the way to the gym nursery.  Nick was there and we swam really hard actually.  I was disappointed that at the end of swim it was only 2700 meters.  I have a 4800 meter swim coming up in September, and it seems like I should put in a bit longer distance.  Clearly, I am not so worried about this that I actually make any effort to swim 4800 meters, but it is a nice idea.  When I am back from California, maybe I will make some effort to swim a in such a way that I will be prepared for my event.  Maybe.  Anyway, workout as follows:

• 400 warmup
• 4 x 50 kick/swim
• 3 x 100 swim fast
• 4 x 100 build
• 3 x 100 swim
• 50 easy
• 200 fast
• 3 x 100
• 50 easy
• 200 fast
• 300 kick

It was a great workout, Nick was there to compete against.  Steven was there to coach us and he told me I was going out too fast and not getting through my 200 at a consistent speed.  

On the way home, Ivan and I stopped at Endurance Sports so that I could rent a wetsuit, and I have to say that a nice wetsuit is a lot better than my suit from ebay.    It is relatively easy to get in and out of and it came with a matching neoprene swim bonnet.  Ivan was pretty stressed out by the sight of his mom in a wetsuit and made several comments in front of the Endurance staff that I found disconcerting.  It made me think for the thousandth time that there are a long list of places that you don't take children and I am adding wetsuit aquisition to that list.  

At home, I got in some yoga and ab work, before heading in to a running group party that was so fun.  So much fun.  I snort laughed twice, and I think that is indicative of the best party EVER!!!!

Pic of me a couple of years ago before the Huntsville Marathon.  I am all the way on the right!!

Tuesday: Run, Gilad and Another Afternoon on the Phone with Garmin

Last night, I made the decision not to attend my track workout based on several things: 

1.  that I was super tired
2. Tracy (the greatest pace car of all time) was not going to be there
3. I was probably going to have a terrible night's sleep based on the fact that I am suffering from a horrible allergy infestation ever since lake swim on Sunday

On Sunday, I felt like this would be a short lived allergy issue.  I used all my nerdy allergy strategies, but Monday, I was still a sinus train wreck.  I slept terribly on Sunday night as I could not breathe out of my nose and Monday night was unfortunately not much better.  It is the worst, and I had to confess to myself that I can't swim at the lake until next year.  I had to come to this same conclusion last year at this exact same time.  But a lake swim just is not worth the full on misery that ensues.  

Again, I am devastated by the blow to my own personal coolness that comes with talking about your sinus issues and allergy triggers.  Is there anything worse?  I am toting a bottle of Benadryl in my  handbag and a handkerchief, because I have become concerned at the dramatic number of paper Kleenex that I am using with abandon.  

Moving on, I just woke up when I woke up this morning, which was still quite early as I am just not sleeping all that well.  I had a bowl of oatmeal and headed out for a 3.5 mile run.  Back at home, I took Ivan to practice his swimming. 

Now, my cadence sensor has not been syncing with my Garmin 310xt.  I mean, honestly Garmin.  Wear me out.  Last week, I spent an eon attempting to get my heart rate monitor to re-sync after doing a hard reset which apparently cleared all my paired devices.  It is so miserable to ride the trainer without the cadence sensor, SO it was worth it to spend 25 minutes on hold with Garmin.  BUT HONESTLY, 25 minutes on the phone with Garmin.  Today, it only took about two minutes to fix the problem, which was a plus and the Garmin employee that helped me with issue was both knowledgeable and pleasant.  

Finally, I headed to Yogurt World because it is double punch night, and I came home deciding I had not filled my self serve cup enough.  When I got to the bottom of the cup, I wondered if anyone had ever gone back to Yogurt World within the span of an hour.  It hasn't happened for me yet, but if I lived in a walk about city and my apartment was above Yogurt World, things could get ugly.  

Monday: Swim and Run

My schedule was a mess this morning and I ended up having to swim at 6:00 AMish at the pool around the corner to get in my swim.  I swam two miles by myself, which never happens as it just gets long and hard to swim by yourself.  Also, the pool around the corner is far too warm for lap swimming and I have felt dehydrated ever since.  Once home, I got in a quick run and made it back in time to meet my sister back at my house to hand off the ever growing pile of things that Ivan has outgrown.

At home, I put finishing touches on a whirlwind trip to San Francisco that I have planned.  I purchased airport wheels for Ivan's car seat, I made a list of important things to bring, and I made a final decision on which luggage to bring.

I had appointments in the afternoon and was finally able to swing by and pick up my copy of Team of Rivals that had been lost last week.

So tired, and am making the decision to skip the final session of summer track sessions.  Sleeping in.  So sue me.

Sunday: Ragweed on the Water

Every summer during August, without fail, ragweed pollinates in Tennessee and leaves a pollen residue on the water.  I swim in the lake in the morning and spend the rest of the day incapacitated by sneezing and a runny nose and terrible congestion.  It makes me sad about my own personal coolness that I am so disturbed by my allergies that I am willing to write a blog post about them and spend an infinite amount of time discussing the situation with my fellow affected swimmers.  It is unfortunate.

Now, the first year that this happened, I was really pretty crippled by the whole situation.  I would swim in the lake and then sneeze for the rest of the day in such a way that I really couldn't leave the house, but I did a lot of reading on the subject and I have developed a few strategies that have definitely make the situation better.  I was terribly sneezy today, but I did not want to quit swimming at the lake.  I actually had to quit last year at this time.

Here are my strategies:

• Immediately after leaving the lake, I hoof it to the public shower and shampoo my hair really well, and spray off my whole self.
• I get out of my lake water bathing suit
• I irrigate my nose multiple times with an aerosol nasal irrigation system that you can purchase at Walgreens
• Finally, I drink copious amounts of tea, specifically rooibos teas, which are supposed to suppress allergens in your system.  

Last year, when I would wait until I got home to shower, ride home in my bathing suit and not irrigate my nose at all, it was ugly times.   Terrible times.  I would sit on the couch and sneeze miserably all day, and sometimes I would have to stay home from church, as my presence would have been nothing but a massive disturbance.

I swam two-ish miles and am feeling pretty good about my upcoming 5k swim on September 11th!!

Saturday: Run and Not Much Else

Today was the first day of never using my 23-year-old alarm clock again.  I used the church bell sound on my iphone alarm, and it was quite nice.  It was much more refreshing than the terrible terrible noise that my 23-year-old alarm makes.  My wake up this morning was more like feeling a little jet-lagged in London,  than being run over by a train and a tugboat simultaneously, while someone says really mean things to you.  I could not help but feel that my 23-year-old alarm clock detested me based on its tone of voice.  Anyway, my dysfunctional relationship with my old alarm clock is over, and I feel good about it.

I ate a bowl of oatmeal on my way to run this morning and found the the park was more crowded that I have ever seen it.  I had to parallel park on a hill in a ditch in between two tiny cars that my monster truck would have squashed had I rolled backwards even a bit.  There was no regular parking to be had. Once I finally got parked, I had to hoof it to the meeting spot, only to find that I had missed the main group.  It really was just sweltering outside today, and I ran a quick 7ish miles and headed home.

At home, I finalized details for a fabulous trip to San Francisco, had a big breakfast while I read the paper, and THEN, I took a nap.  Aaaahhhh, I love a nap!!!  Also, I read a good deal of my substitute book, Infinite Jest, while I anxiously await the return of my current book, Team of Rivals.  I am deeply missing Abraham Lincoln, but I am impressed with David Foster Wallace.

Pics of Ivan in his new and fabulous cape that my sister bought him!!!

Friday: Swim on Time

So today, for what seems like the only time in my whole life, I was on time for swim!!  I wheeled Ivan right into the nursery without incident, he appeared both happy and unconcerned when I left, which is the best way to leave a baby in the nursery.

At swim, Nick was there for the second day this week.  So exciting!!  We swam hard!!  Workout as follows:

• 300 warmup
• 4 x 50 sailboat drill (holding your arm straight up while you kick drill)
• 300 IM
• 4 x 50 breast stroke
• 6 x 25 (half fast/ half easy) @ :45
• 5 x 100 free @ 2:00
• 6 x 25 kick
• 5 x 100 free @ 2:00
• 6 x 25 kick
• 600 pull

This was 3050 meters, and I have to say that I need to practice kicking without my fins, BUT it slows me down.  I could have gotten in more yardage, but we did several of the things that I normally do with fins, without fins.  It is a quandry.  

Anyway, I attended the church women's social this evening and had homemade blueberry pie and gazpacho.  Friends, if you learn nothing else from this post, learn this:  alway attend social events at churches where people bring food.  You taste some of the best things.  Church socials, country funerals and Cosco on Saturday mornings are a culinary extravaganza.  Make a note of it

Thursday: Day Off

Ahhh, the day off.  I am supposed to take a day off on Thursdays, but I rarely do it, because all sorts of fun athletic options arise. Today, even, I had in the back of my head that I was going to mess with my Garmin in an attempt to get the cadence sensor working and get in a trainer ride. I did mess with my Garmin, TO NO AVAIL.  The cadence sensor is still not working.  STILL.  In fact, I went to a Garmin website where they suggest (get this) to "take out the batteries, and put them in backwards in an effort to short the system and force all Garmin components to work together again".

For serious??  I mean is Doc Brown going to pick me up in his DeLorean and help me solve this problem.  How much more ridiculous is this going to get?

I am about to get down on my hands and knees, and try to short out a battery.  I am not a professional athlete.  I am just a novice and I am putting in an hour of time trying to sort out my timing device.  It seems a little over the top, and I still stink on the bike.

 

Wednesday: Will My Garmin Be the Death of Me

So, today, I was up early enough to get in a run before swim.   Though I keep thinking that it is going to cool off, it is miserably hot.  Just so hot.  Hot Hot Hot.  I was pretty proud that I got the run in before the swim, however.

Swim today, was interesting.  We were coachless, but we did have a dry erase board with a workout.  I was on the pool deck right on time, and I got in 3500 meters.  For the past two nursery experiences, Ivan has been pleasantly wheeled into the nursery in his stroller and happily left alone with Ms. Pat who brushes his hair into a fluffy blond halo.  It is nice, and I hope that this continues, as it allows me a guilt free exit to get to the pool on time.

Nick was there today, so he and I swam together. Workout as follows:

• 500 warmup
• 6 x 150 (Kick/Drill/Swim by 50's)
• 4 x 50 kick
• 8 x 50 drill/swim
• 9 x 100 descend
• 50 kick
• 600 pull

Such a great workout.  We swam really hard, and I actually could have stayed in the pool a little longer.  The showers still aren't working, so I did not have to use part of my two hour nursery time to shower.  I could have stayed in the pool 30 minutes longer.  I may do this next week, just to see how it feels, as I am preparing for my 5k swim. (September 11th, Big Shoulders)

After swim, I attempted to take Ivan blueberry picking, so drove to the edge of the world, only to find that the blueberry farm was closed for the season.  THEN, drove to Whole Foods so that I could buy meat and let Ivan have a cookie.  Ivan dashed away from me to see the wind chimes, then scooted behind the wind chimes and got his arm caught in the automatic door.  Of course.  I had to drag him from the door and strong arm him all the way to the car, because he apparently loves to have his arm caught in the door at Whole Foods.  He was so angry to be dragged away.

At home, I ran a few errands after putting Ivan down to nap.  Then, hopped on the trainer to make a full triathlon out of my day.  HOWEVER, the Garmin is not picking up my cadence, so it was just a really frustrating trainer ride, and I foresee myself spending copious amounts of time dithering with the Garmin helpline tomorrow so that I can somehow restart the cadence function.  While I love the Garmin, it is like the dissertation that never ends.  There is always work to be done and functions to be researched.  What I really need is a Garmin that reads my mind.  

Tuesday: Track Workout, Gilad and Yoga

So today, I got to track workout right on time and in a twist that made it all a bit more difficult, I had to bring all my stuff to take a shower at work, because I had to head to work straight from track practice.  SO, at 5:20 AM this morning found me staggering around, stuffing my hot rollers (aahhhh, hot rollers) into my gym bag, and packing up my laptop.  I still made it to practice reasonably on time, which makes me think I am getting faster about this getting out the door with all my stuff.  Or, as it turned out when I actually hit the shower, I just threw a bunch of stuff in the gym bag (some useful, some not) and left a bunch of important and unmentionable things at home.  

Track practice really didn't feel that bad today, which I was afraid to tell Mark Miller lest he think I needed to retool my track times.  Track workout as follows:

• Warm up
  1 mile jog
  dynamic drills
  2 x 200 surges
   
  Workout
  400 (F) pace - plus :02    (followed by 150 walk / 250 jog )
  400 (F) pace - plus :02    (followed by 150 walk / 250 jog )
  400 (F) pace - plus :04    (followed by 150 walk / 250 jog )
  400 (F) pace - plus :04    (followed by 150 walk / 250 jog )  
  400 (F) pace - minus :02 (followed by 150 walk / 250 jog )
  400 (F) pace - all out  - run as fast as you can :-)
   
  Cooldown
  1 mile jog 
  
  
  
  
  So, I did dread getting back to the start line for each fast 400, but I think I ran my "all out" in like 1:21.  Afterwards, I headed to the car and hit Starbucks on the way into work.  I must say that I really enjoyed just heading into work, my Starbucks was great, and I got to take a shower alone in the work shower.  Now the work shower, was not as nice as the public shower at the lake, but probably nicer than the showers at the rec center.  I felt a little homeless, and I forgot a few integral parts of my apparel, BUT all in all it was a gas and time saving day to go straight from the track into work.  
  
  
  At home, I got in a Gilad workout and a really nice Yoga session before Ivan woke up from his nap.  I took Ivan to swim in the afternoon, and I talked a big game to my friend, Kennette, about how I was going to ride my trainer after dinner.  In a move that is Classic Betsy, however, I came home and went to Yogurt World (they had cheesecake yogurt tonight, which is just amazing when mixed with chocolate) and counted down the minutes until the new Rachel Zoe.  Oh Rachel Zoe, I know that you are too thin and you smoke too much and you are spending that sweet sweet Rodger into the poor house, but "lit-rally" I can't stop watching.  

Monday: Is It Possible to Arrive at Swim On Time?

I am beginning to feel very strongly that the answer to this question is no.  Today, we left on time, but once in the parking lot of the gym, Ivan refused to walk and I had to get the stroller from the back of the car and wheel he and my copious amount of gear into the gym only to find that the top had come off of Ivan's smoothie and the entire contents had dumped into his diaper bag.  I was able to salvage two diapers, his sippy cup and a tube of desitin.  The diapers were covered in a bit of smoothie, but washed off very well overall.  I had to throw the diaper bag, wipes and one diaper that had saturated most of the smoothie straight into the garbage.  Let that be a lesson to ye purchasers of nice diaper bags.

Anyway, following our smoothie diaper bag debacle, Ivan was in such shock and awe over the demise of his diaper bag that he didn't even mind when I left.  I rushed to the pool, only to find that the locker room was closed for repairs, and I had to get into the pool without wetting my hair first.  It shivered me timbers, and I am CERTAIN that my hair soaked up enough chlorine to ruin me.  Also, I had no choice but to ride home all itchy from the chlorine in my bathing suit.

Once finally on the pool deck, I was 20 minutes late and had missed 650 yards despite my prompt arrival at the pool.  I know that I have a two year old, and I know that things like this happen, BUT aren't there people out there with children that arrive to classes and jobs and such on time.  Doesn't it work for some people?

Workout as follows:

• 50 warm-up
• 8 x 75 (butterfly/back/breast)
• 3 x 300 @ 6:00
• 3 x 200
• 4 x 100 
• 500 kick

I got in 3000 meters, with a hefty kick, as Jaime is heading out of town and I needed to catch up on everything before she left, AND the locker rooms were closed so we could not talk there.  

At home, I made Lara Bars and pesto and quinoa pilaf and had a healthy lunch, before heading out to buy paint for the bathroom and kitchen and getting home to get in a Gilad workout.  It was a busy day.

Track workout tomorrow!!

Pics of Ivan picking grass and the scary goat that Ivan kept getting too close to at the zoo.  Does he want to have his eye poked out??

Sunday: Death of My Alarm Clock

I am relatively certain that I received my alarm clock when my sister and I stopped sharing a bedroom when I was 11ish.  Now that I am 34, it occurs to me that the alarm clock is the longest lived electronic device in my life.  Now, I have had a 23 year relationship with this alarm clock, but it only took a two year relationship with my son to murder the it.  Ivan has put chapstick in the battery hole, spilled water on it and knocked it to the floor countless times.  Last week, I saw him leaning off my bed and leaning his hand on the speaker with his full weight.  Since then, my alarm clock has not worked once.  It is still telling time, but the alarm has totally petered out.

For this reason, I have been almost late to several workouts and have had to run screaming out of the house.  I cut my alarm some slack yesterday, but really, should we ever cut our alarm clocks slack? I am considering my alarm clock retired.

So, this morning, I ran quite late to the lake based on the alarm clock situation.  I was 20 minutes late, and I basically leapt from the car throwing on my goggles and hurling myself into the water.  I caught up with everyone and really had a great swim overall.  No matter how it starts out, my lake swims are always calming and pleasant.  The water was super warm, really too warm.  

Now, this morning, I put on my Garmin with the idea that I could try the software that compensates for the swim.  As far as I can tell, it didn't work.  At best, I swam two miles, but the watch says that I swam 3.66 miles.  This is a bummer, as I was pretty excited about my big download.

Swim tomorrow morning!!  

Saturday: RUN!!!!

So this morning, I did oversleep, BUT I got to the park right on time, and I felt great.  The weather was cooler, I had on my favorite shorts, my iced green tea was in perfect form.  We ran the 11.2 at Percy Warner Park, and my run went really well.  I kept up with everyone and had all the time in the world to hang out at the park.  John Keller brought extra Gatorades and Allan brought homemade Lara Bars and Chris burned me a copy of Tom Petty's new CD.  It was a wealthy day at the park.

In one small misfortune, someone (who will remain unnamed) dislodged my Garmin from the charger and it ran out of juice at mile 5.  This was a great sadness, as a run without my Garmin is almost worthless to me.  It made today a purely social run, but that isn't all bad.

I feel like the weather made the day.  Weather that starts out in the seventies makes me feel human and like, in some alternate temperature zone, I might enjoy running again.  Running has felt like a chore for the past month, and today, I remembered what it was to enjoy it.  Thrilling.  There was much talking.  John Keller had wise words about potty training.  Chris and I commiserated about the stress of two year olds.  Betsy and I discussed jewelry.  Just lovely.  

At home, I really meant to go to the farmer's market to stalk out organic veggies and a farmer who would sell me chicken breasts and some ground turkey, BUT I sat on the couch all day drinking tea.  I feel like a giant teapot.

I did devote some time to personal vanity.  We had a great dinner with friends. Seriously, it was a shish kebob love affair.

Lake swim tomorrow!!!

Friday: Swim and Zoo

Pouring rain, when we woke up this morning.  Just Pouring. Ivan and I made breakfast and my husband helped up begin the packing process to get to swim.  Just so you know, getting to swim requires enough baggage to get me around the world.  It is just insane.  I have to bring a shower kit, a towel, a change of clothes, goggles and cap and suit. PLUS, all my swim toys (flippers, buoy, and paddles).  PLUS, Ivan's diaper bag. Plus something to drink.  Plus, I have to wrangle Ivan.  So, today, as we were loading into the car for swim with raincoats, my husband packed a golf umbrella.  He wanted me to make sure to use the umbrella so Ivan did not get wet going into the gym.  With what hand was I going to hold the umbrella?

Needless to say, Ivan and I both got wet going into the gym.

Swam 3200 meters, but forgot to photograph the workout.  

After swim, our Friday zoo trip was calling and seems to be becoming a tradition very quickly.  Ivan loves it, though it is a grimy sweatfest.  

Pic of Ivan and I on the carousel.  Getting to bed early for run tomorrow!!

Thursday: Was Supposed to Be My Day Off

So, I meant to take the day off today, BUT my friend Sara, whom I really only see when I run, asked me to  run this morning, and I just couldn't pass up the time to catch up. Plus, we got to run my favorite running route from Lipscomb University down to Belmont University.  It is rare that I have the opportunity to visit with Sara and run on my old stomping grounds.  For this reason, I sabotaged my day off, got up early, made oatmeal and tea and headed into town.  It was a great run, but it is so bloody hot.

I have lived in Tennessee for the vast majority of my life and the only time I lived elsewhere, I lived somewhere hotter.  You would think that I would be used to this.  Not So.  Every year, it is a shock to my system.  I forget how hot it was the summer before, and how impossible it was to do anything but sweat my way to hideousness and stench.  How do we survive?

Anyway, once at home, I hopped in the shower and got ready to hit Peek-A-Boo Playtown.  Peek-A-Boo playtown is a play place that has every sort of plaything that you can imagine for kids.  Cars, tubs of balls, train tables, dress up clothes, and every such thing.  Ivan was amazed and could barely focus his attention.  He would climb into a car only to be amazed by a train, so he would hop out, though only half-way into the car.  He would pick up a train, only to see another car and sprint away to get to the car.  IT WAS A FABULOUS PLACE, because I sat down on a couch with my friend Mary and just made sure that Ivan didn't leave the building.  I got to have great conversation, and Ivan was as happy as I have seen him since he learned to open the refrigerator door.  It was a blissful two hours.  In fact, I saw a few mothers with coffee and a magazine obliviously absorbed, and I could see that happening to me.  I could walk down that road.  That road looks nice.  I could re-commence reading my New Yorkers cover -to-cover.  Would that be terrible?  To pay $7 a week to sit on a couch and read my New Yorker cover-to-cover?  Is that the level of frivolity that could lead our country to financial ruin?

After I drug Ivan kicking and screaming home, I put him down for a nap and got on the phone with Garmin in an effort to fix my heart rate monitor issue.  I must say that after spending 25 minutes on hold, I was a bit frustrated to find that the best advice the tech had to give was to find a friend that had a Garmin and see if my heart rate monitor would sync with their device.  How would that help me??  Anyway, after much elementary advice, I decided to take the battery out again and reseat it and it suddenly worked.  THRILLING.  It was clearly just a battery contact issue.

Swim tomorrow!!!!

Wednesday: Swim, Bike and Pure Barre

So this morning, I was up at a reasonable time and got to swim punctually, but had some trouble with Ivan in the nursery, where he screamed a piercing and painful screech as soon as I set him down.  My strategy for this scream situation needs to be altered in some way as it has made me thrice late to swim when I actually got to the pool on time.

When I finally did get in the pool, I had missed the warm-up which cuts down on possible mileage, so I was bummed.  Also, Nick (my swim nemesis, yet the nicest person in the world) seemed to be swimming faster than I was, which I could not help but see as a comment on my current level of fitness.  Workout as follows:

• 100 swim
• 8 x 50 kick
• 8 x 100 swim @ 1:50 (we swam them at 1:30 and rested for 20 seconds)
• 4 x 200 pull
• 8 x 50 kick
• 400 warm down
• extra 200 kick warm down because Jamie and I were having a really great conversation

This was 2700 meters for me, but everyone else got in more like 4000 meters.  I have a 5k swim in about 6 weeks, so I need to up the ante to 4000 meter swims regularly.  I hope that just typing the former sentence has struck enough fear in my heart that I will actually get to swim on time and practice for my event.  I hope it will help me to understand that I have to let Ivan's screaming go and just hightail it out of the nursery.

On the way home, we made an epic trip to Cosco where I bought the supplies to make many many homemade Lara Bars, and much soy milk and yogurt and diapers and footie suits and I almost got into baby blue jeans, but I stopped myself.  

I got in a Pure Barre workout at home and then hopped on the trainer for a quick ride, but I am having some Garmin 310xt drama.  It won't pick up my heart rate monitor since I reset it last month and I can barely do a trainer ride without my heart rate monitor.  My cadence sensor is also off the bike, so who knows what I actually did on the trainer.  I am calling Garmin tomorrow to slog it out with the technicians.  Bleh

Tuesday: Wise Words from Mark Miller at Track Workout, Gilad and Yoga

Ivan in My Bike Glasses

I felt most unenthusiastic when my alarm went off at 5:15 this morning and I hit snooze twice and still made it to the track on time with my oatmeal and a homemade Lara Bar.  (The way it is going for me, by the way, I am slightly afeared that I will turn into a Lara Bar. I have already broken my mini-cuisinart from overuse in making homemade Lara bars, and it is all getting out of hand.)  Anyway, track workout as follows:

• 5 lap warm-up
• 800 striders (200 fast/ slow/ 200 fast/ 200 slow)
• 8 x 400 at 1:32
• mile cool down

This was 5 and a half miles, and I am kind of having a thing with track practice in that my pink eye saga (which I am trying to quit talking about and ruminating on as if I had been a prisoner of war or a hostage) kept me from participating in the second track time trial.  Since I did not do the time trial, I do not really have the right times that I should be running and I am still using times from the first time trial.  Also, because I was not at the time trial, I did not get a piece of paper with all my workouts and times for the second half of the track workouts, so I never really know what we are doing until the night before when the email comes out on Monday.  It all just makes me feel a little off kilter.  

 I feel like I am just showing up and hoping that Tracy is there so that I can attach myself to her like a carbuncle.  She keeps the pace on her watch, and I keep the overall mileage on mine.  Honestly, when I got there today, I didn't see Tracy at first, and I contemplated slinking back to my car and driving away.  

The workout was not that bad, but I was quite pleased to be finished.  Also, I had a great talk with Mark Miller, who is full of knowledge about his craft.  My question this morning was about how to approach my track workouts if I am also biking and swimming regularly.  Mark always gives us two options for every workout.  For instance, today it was 8 x 400 or 10 x 400.  Mark said that in light of my swim schedule, I should always do the lower intensity workout so as not to approach the overtraining line, which would be devastating to all my disciplines.  This was great news, and I was thrilled to head home.

At home, I went to work before taking Ivan to swim, where in a delightful turn of events he vomited on me in front of everyone.  He wasn't sick, he just swallowed too much water.  Honestly, Ivan was talking to me about something, he projectile vomited all over me and then just kept talking to me like nothing had happened.  He never broke form or acted like he thought it was gross.  He really didn't even pause.  Of course, I was standing there with vomit all over my bathing suit, and I really didn't even care either.  I just let my mind drift to Sunday, when I can take a shower by myself at the public lake shower and make it all go away.  

Back at home, I did a Gilad workout and some yoga before settling in on the couch with a mountain of paperwork and the new season of Rachel Zoe.  It was bananas.  

Monday: Swim, Gilad and Yoga

Ahhhh, back on schedule.  Now, Ivan slept so so late, which made me late to swim, but I was able to get in about 2500 meters, and I am OK with it.  There is something to be said for easing back into the full on routine.

Swim was great.  Workout as follows:

• 100 warm-up
• 4 x 50 swim/kick
• 4 x 50 swim/drill
• 4 x 50 swim/IM
• 400 swim
• 4 x 50 swim/kick
• 400 pull
• 2 x 200 swim
• 2 x 100 descend
• 200 choice

I was glad to be hitting my schedule.  At home, I had a quick lunch, put Ivan down for a nap, ran some errands and did a Gilad workout and some desperately needed yoga.  

Track workout tomorrow.  Getting in bed early!!

Sunday: Lake Swim and I Was Kind of a Disaster and I Love Lake Shower

I have many interesting things to say about my day to day.  I am coming off a rather disheveled week this week, and I was working with the after effects of a minor sunburn on my back. Regardless, it was thrilling to kick off my week with lake swim.

I was up and at 'em by 5:20 AM, and I got right out to the lake.  I made a poor bathing suit choice, however and the top was too big and it was all gappy and I just felt like the whole thing was falling off.  It then happened that I made matters 1000 times worse by making the last minute decision to wear a rash guard shirt with 50 SPF to make CERTAIN that know UVA or UVB rays touched my back.

 This seemed like a good plan, until I was about half a mile into a two mile swim and the shirt starting chaffing.  It chaffed around the neck and by the time I got back to shore, my neck looked like I was a hangman's victim.  My bathing suit had been dragging the whole way as well and I just felt like a big waterlogged tank out in the water. My slowness was irritating, and I just looked like a great big dork in my long sleeve sunscreen shirt and my huge aquasphere mask and my draggy bathing suit.

It felt a bit like showing up dressed for a costume party, and being the only one in costume.  I wanted to pull off my rash guard shirt and let it sink to the bottom of the lake.

Anyway, this leads me to a sad and telling fact that I had to come to terms with today: I love to take a shower in the public shower at the lake after lake swim.  "Why is this?", you ask.  Are there towels, the guarantee of privacy, clean showering conditions, air conditioning, a nice fresh smell?  1000 times "NO" to all of these questions.

Here is what the lake shower does have:  a steady stream of hot water and one of those shower heads that you can hold in your hands.

Here is what the shower does not have: Ivan.

I can stay in the shower at the lake for as long as I want.  The water never gets cold and no one gets in the shower with me and demands to stand directly under the shower stream of water while splashing me and peeing on the shower floor and laughing hysterically.  I can do a thorough job of shaving both legs, and I can exfoliate.  Today, I even gave myself a deep condition.  Yes, I might catch both athlete's foot, the HIV and some crazy disease that has not even been discovered yet.  There is no way to lock the shower door, and I guess I could get murdered, BUT these seem like small sacrifices for a shower alone.

Are you crying for me right now?  Tears of shame and pity coursing down your cheeks as you think of me just dreaming of a public shower at the lake as if it were the spa at the Ritz Carlton.  This is my life, friends.

Anyway, at home I got ready for church after covering my neck chaffing with Neosporin, which somehow got in my hair, which is quite a bit darker now, and I felt like my hair looked all Brilliantined up like Clark Gable in Gone With The Wind.

In the afternoon, I went to see the second installment of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series, The Girl Who Played With Fire.  

Swim tomorrow!!!