Wednesday: Swim and Gilad

Today was honestly Russian Novel cold.  I don't know if you have ever read Anna Karenina or War and Peace or Crime and Punishment or Doctor Zhivago.  Just reading about the cold and the ice and the wearing of the furs might send you into full on hypothermia as you read away in your climate controlled environment.  The drifts of snow and the fires inside the carriages just chill you to the bone.  I left for swim today with Sloan the Younger dressed in our finest modern day Siberian attire:  everything that The North Face, Lululemon and Ugg had to offer.  There was so much fleece and down involved today.  I felt that I could hear the theme music from Dr Zhivago in the background as we trudged out to the car with Young Sloan crying cold tears of anger and misery while the wind whistled through overcast skies.

Once inside the gym, I never warmed up.  I swam for 2500 yards and every time I paused at the end of an interval I began to shiver. I never warmed up in the shower and my extreme goose bumps made for an ineffective shaving experience.  Though I have no memory of the swim workout, it does not seem important today.  What does seem important is that I was never warm. We managed to slog back out to the car after swim and at home, in an unsurprising turn of events, there was no napping.  How I long for the arrival of the sweet sweet crib tent.  

In the afternoon, I got in a Gilad workout and understood sadly that my Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest viewing party was cancelled.  It was snowing hardcore like Little House on The Prairie and there was no chance of going anywhere.   Young Sloan and I stared out the windows bleakly all afternoon.  We are all too tired and cold of the snow to bother anymore.

Tuesday: RUN

So many exciting things about which to tell you!!  First of all, last night, as I was picking through the stack of books and magazines on my bedside table I found the December 14th issue of the New Yorker that I had set aside and THEN forgotten.  The week before Christmas issue of the New Yorker gives a list of the reviewers' favorite books organized by fiction and non-fiction.  I was pretty thrilled.  It was like a late Christmas present. Cleopatra (my current read) is unsurprisingly not listed, but The First Tycoon about Cornelius Vanderbilt IS listed.  Also I am interested in Wolf Hall a fiction about the Tudors that won The Booker Prize.    This issue of the New Yorker also includes a short story by David Foster Wallace who wrote one of the best commencement addresses I have ever read and I totally recommend that you read it. 

Anyway, in other news with Young Sloan climbing out of his bed, I made the decision to invest in a crib tent.  I refuse to give up on nap time, I refuse to give up on cribs.  We are tenting it up at the Sloan house and you can call it a cage if you want, but naps will be had!!  The crib tent is on the way, and I will keep you updated as to its progress.

In other news I am watching American Experience: Ronald Reagan: Lifeguard.  I am wildly impressed with " The Gipper", but do you know what is the most striking and unimpressive aspect of the documentary:  The Gipper drew the short straw when it came to children.  The two children by his first marriage seem like reasonable humans, BUT the two children that he had with Nancy just cannot stop droning on about themselves and behave as if their father's career is just the biggest burden that any human has had to bear.  They draw out their words and there is so much drama, they end every sentence GRAVELY as if even speaking of their horses and dad who taught them to swim when the were little is a legacy that weighs their souls.  Never have I been so worn out with anyone's children as I am with Reagan's.

Finally, in a busy day that got much busier much faster than I expected, I was able to get in a very fast three mile run in the chilly afternoon.  It felt great, and I thought the whole time I ran that next week, I would be running at 6:00 AM, because speed sessions are coming up!!

Monday: Swim

So last evening our internet was down, and honestly, I wish it had been the indoor plumbing.  I was so sad to deny the internet population the opportunity to hear about yesterday's church attendance, grocery store trip, and shortened swim practice.  I forgot to take my tiramisu out of the freezer, so I had to take it to my Superbowl party still somewhat frozen.  I spent most of the night chasing Ivan, and I ingested a whole bunch of guacamole.  I did not watch any of the superbowl.

Today, the internet is up and I am absolutely ready to give you the 411 on my day.  Sloan the Younger is a champion of good behavior lately and getting to swim was SO easy today.  We were there on time, I was not the last one in the pool.  I swam 3900 meters, and I am a champion!!!

Swim workout as follows:

• 400 swim
• 200 kick
• 5 x 200 swim @ 3:30
• 8 x 25 fast swim @ :30
• 3 x 100 swim descend @ 1:45
• 6 x 25 fast swim @ :30
• 3 x 100 swim descend 0@ 1:45
• 4 x 25 fast swim @ :30
• 6 x 75 kick/drill/swim 20 second rest
• 400 pull
• 200 swim
• 300 kick

This was really exciting and though I am enjoying my new smaller tighter suits from  Splish, there is no gapping of the swim suit,which I like, but today my chest straps chafed uncomfortably and I wondered about the wisdom of sizing down. 

On the way home, we stopped for a a balloon and a cookie to reward such great behavior from Young Sloan, we forwent a nap as the crib tent has not arrived yet.  

Oooooh Friends, Have I told you the saga of the crib tent???  Get ready.  I will tell you tomorrow.  It is epic!!

Saturday: RUN

OH yes friends, today I rejoined my running group for reals.  I arrived at the park at 6:15 AM, secured a primo parking place, ran a few laps around the inner park loop while I waited on the group to show up.  I was ON IT.  I was early, I brought plenty of water, three extra jackets in case it was warmer or cooler when I arrived at the park, two grab the gold bars, some Dr. Pepper chapstick, my heart rate monitor -synced and receiving information (with Body Glide underneath so that it would not chafe, though it chafed anyway), and all of my athletic enthusiasm.  My short term preparation was meticulous, but I have to say that none of that really matters if your body is not prepared for the rigors of the 13 mile sprint.

I was grossly unprepared.  There have not been any long runs since my December 11th marathon and my speed and stamina were just not up to par.  NOW, normally this would not be any great crisis, but listen to my sad tale:

Our running group was at one time composed of a great variety of runners.  If you were feeling off your game or uber-chatty, you could drop back a little and run with a few runners that were slightly slower, or if you were trying to race you could run with a faster group.  There were many many options.  For whatever reason, the running group has lost a few members, a few members have formed other groups, and suddenly we are left with a very fast group (7:40 miles at least for most of a 13-20 mile run) and a very slow group (9:30 miles or slower for a 4-7 mile run).  So the slower group just really is not a workout that prepares me for competition and the fast group is hauling.

My strategy today was to go out with the fast group and fall back when I had to and try to run 8ish minute miles overall.  I held to my strategy, BUT it is painful to my ego when members of the fast group worry that I am running alone and fall back to run with me, all the while making cheerful comments that they need to rest a bit today, it is better if they have an easy run, and all sorts of kindnesses that are like a knife to my prideful heart.  I managed to average slightly over 8 minute miles, and I had some great conversation, albeit with a hint of mortification that my running companions pitied me.

13 miles, however, YAY for me !!!  I finished the run in dropping temperatures and driving sleet.  At home, I shoveled down two beet pancakes, two slices of french toast, two sausages, green tea and so much coffee.  So delicious, and I have missed that particular kind of appetite that comes after a long fast run.  It is nice to just start scarfing down food like a garbage disposal.

In other news, I had dinner at City House tonight with the fabulous and always enjoyable Daniel Tashian.  I tasted my first overt anchovy, meaning that is was not mashed up in Caesar dressing so that I did not know it was there.  Or is it sardines that are in Caesar dressing? Anyway, it was quite good and I learned all about the best kind to buy, and now beware anytime you dine at my house as there might be anchovies in your food.  Also, Daniel (the great!!!) told me some under the radar 30 Rock  jokes that I feel will make my favorite television show all the more meaningful.  It was a glorious evening!!

Friday: Trainer Triumph

So last night I mouth-breathed all night like Lutz. I slept with Neosporin in my nose because it was so raw, and if I counted correctly, I blew my nose five million and 47 times.  It was officially not a great night's sleep. Just based on my miserable sinuses, I decided that Ivan and I were not going to go to swim as there is no way it could be good to submerge whatever is going on in my sinus cavity in water. So we hung out, I taught Young Sloan how to use child safety scissors which actually seems like a super foolish move in retrospect.  We played with the air compressor organ that is housed in a strange corner of our den, and watched Curious George.

No matter what goes on in this house, The Man in the Yellow Hat always has it worse.  Today, I watched as that terrible terrible monkey pulled every bit of wallpaper off the bathroom wall; every bit, and then lost the professor's dissertation.  I figured out today that the professor is sort of The Man in the Yellow Hat's love interest, BUT he will never have a chance with her.  George is the ultimate relationship ruiner.

In the afternoon, my great friend Kennette offered to come and bring her bike so that we could do a Spinervals ride together.  We rode all the way through Sloan the Younger's nap.  It was great and something that I should do more often.  Now, I do hate the trainer, BUT it is so much fun to have a friend to chatter with while you are chained to your bike.  We rode for one hour and eight minutes before  Young Sloan threw himself out of the bed, bloodied his lip, bumped his head and cut his wrist.

I have to say that the day that your child learns to crawl out of the crib is a SERIOUS bummer.  Young Sloan came roaming into the den with a bloody lip and a cut on his wrist like it was was no big deal.  I, on the other hand, came as close to a full on panic attack as I have thus far.  The entrance pretty much ended our bike ride, but I am still pretty uplifted that I was on the trainer for over an hour.  If I could get in an hour on the trainer once a week or so, EVERYTHING COULD CHANGE!!!

Getting up early to run!!

Thursday: Yet Another Day Off

So, yesterday I assumed that giving myself one day to recover from a cold was plenty, I headed out to swim and swam hard actually. I used full on bribery for good behavior from young Sloan.  He was given one "pee-pop" (lollipop) for good behavior while getting into and riding in the car.  Then there was the offer of a happy meal from McDonald's if he walked into the gym and nursery while continuing his good behavior.  This went really well, and I was on time to swim.  It was fabulous, and I have clearly entered a vicious cycle of bribery that will not be extinguished until Sloan the Younger has graduated from college.

  Steven had written a great workout, and while it was not my fastest workout, I enjoyed it and was thrilled to get in so much yardage.  Workout as follows:

• 250 warm-up
• 400 kick
• 6 x 100 free @ 1:45
• 4 x 150 back/breast/free 20 seconds rest
• 6 x 75 fly/ back/ breast @ 1:40
• 4 x 200 pull @ 3:20
• 75 kick
• 25 fast kick
• 100 fly kick
• 50 fast kick
• 200 free
• 100 free

This was 3400 meters.  I had to fudge my breast and back strokes, because mine are so slow that I could not make the intervals unless I converted them to free-style when I started getting too far behind.  

Anyway, all went well, we picked up a happy meal and a Hot Fudge Sundae on the way home.  Every bite was eaten, and I was pretty thrilled to see some serious calories taken in.  It happens rarely, I am sorry that they were processed within an inch of their lives, but glad to see them eaten anyway.  

In the afternoon, the sickness of a hard core cold settled on me with a vengeance.  I sneezed all afternoon, felt feverish and kicked myself for getting in the pool when it was 22 degrees outside.  I still did Gilad, but with a sinking heart that I would be drinking myself into a Theraflu oblivion later in the evening.  

This indeed happened, and I have a fuzzy memory of crawling under my deliciously warm electric blanket at some unspecified time in the evening and reading an article in some publication about Larry David's ex-wife's new cookbook.  It seems like I did not finish the article, and I cannot, for the life of me, remember what publication.  Such is the nature of the bad cold.  

Anyway, I suffered through a terrible night of sleep and a groggy morning.  Nursery school went off without a hitch, and I plodded about the house until I took another nap.  Sad times.  Two days off in one week, it might be three.  I have to decide what is going to go down tomorrow.  Swim seems unwise under the circumstances.  Bleh.  A Week of Bleh.

Tuesday: Day Off!!

It seems that I have caught the cold that Young Sloan had over the weekend, and I sort of forgot that with the onset of  nursery school, we are probably a hot bed of germs that we have not yet gained an immunity to.  It is all so grubby.  When I walk into the classroom in the morning, there is always someone sneezing or wiping their nose on something, once there was even someone vomiting.  So, no wonder I am slightly under the weather.  I am surprised that I do not live there.

So, after hurrying a tantruming Sloan the Younger off to nursery school, I headed into work without my rain jacket, because I NEVER CHECK THE WEATHER.  As a general rule, I am pretty sure that weathermen are charlatans, and the way the sky looks when I leave the house is SURELY how it will look ALL DAY LONG.  SO, I made it to work in a really lovely chiffon skirt and suede boots, only to have to leave my office in a monsoon of epic proportions. I had just enough time to get home and fight my way through the horizontal rain into the house and change into my rain boots to go back and retrieve a tantruming Young Sloan from nursery school where he was wrestled though a puddled parking lot and more horizontal rain.

At home, I spent all afternoon on a fancy dinner of creamed parsnips and chicken with cauliflower.  As sometimes happens with new recipes, it was not the tastiest of all my creations.  No one went hungry, but it was roundly decided that this recipe should be kicked to the curb.

In other news, Young Sloan's Christmas harmonica was mysteriously lost after the holidays, and someone, who clearly hates me, bought him another, which he was really excited about. When I emerged from the shower today, Young Sloan gleefully presented me with two harmonicas which means he had found the old harmonica and held onto the new harmonica both.  In trying to blow both harmonicas at once, he sounded like a depressed boxcar hobo or a wheezing Bob Dylan or a broken accordion.

Swim tomorrow!!