Friday: Swim and the Sloans Go A'Visitin'

So today, we were late for swim.  No big thing, I swam hard on Wednesday, and it was really no big deal that I coasted into swim.  Sloan the Younger was completely agreeable about nursery attendance, and it was really no one's fault but his mother's that we were late.  I was bumbling about the house doing some last minute packing and nibbling at an organic pop tart while I toted around a cup of coffee in a state that I would say was somewhere between catatonic and zombie.

At swim practice, I was further detained by a great conversation with my swim coach Ashley, who often offers pivotal insight.  For instance, today she noted that my time trial on Tuesday might not have been as fast as I wanted, because I am not running as much as I used to.  I had not really thought about it, but it ABSOLUTELY makes sense.  I am lucky to be running three days a week right now.  Sloan III has returned to the workforce, so my midmorning long runs and pre-swim short runs have all but evaporated into the shifting sands of my home life.  It was even necessary to cut short my speed session cool down, so that I could accommodate Sloan III's new work schedule.  So, I may have a slower sadder running year based on Sloan III's desire to bring home the bacon.  Is that anything to complain about?  For sure it is not. As Sloan III says, I could be living in Darfur.  I can tell you right now that people in Darfur are not worrying about their marathon times.

Anyway, when I finally eased myself into the pool, it was later than it should have been. I swam a 200 warm up, a 400 swim, a 6 x 100 swim, a 3 x 200 pull and then some other stuff that amounted to around 2500 meters.  It was a great workout, but I just existed at swim today; I did not shine.

At home, Sloan the Younger and I packed up to go a'visitin.  I put Ice Age into the portable DVD player, purchased a Happy Meal and a Starbucks and we were off.  Now, traveling alone with children on a car trip of over an hour typically necessitates a  bathroom stop.  This begs the question of what do you do when you need to go to the bathroom (desperately!!!) and Sloan the Younger is fast asleep and most certainly needs his nap.  Your drive is quiet and peaceful while he is napping; it is loathsome and tearful and whiney when he is awake.  I feel like you have no choice, but to stop at a truckstop, leave the car running and drop trowel on the opposite side of the car so that no one can see you, BUT you can see your sleeping child.  Some might call it indecent exposure and public urination, but I have no choice but to call it being a great mom.

We arrived in Knoxville safe and sound.  We visited with friends, trimmed eyebrows, had facials, drank wine and learned about the 2007 vintage.  We wore Lululemon and ate pears with blue cheese while our children flounced about playrooms and tattled incessantly.  Aahhh the fun of it!!

A'visitin with parents, brother and great-aunt tomorrow.  It is a full weekend.  No long run tomorrow.