in lieu of a card...

Dear Valentine,
I was going to give you a card.  A real nice card.  However, I thought, knowing you as I do, this would mean a lot more.  (Plus, this does not cost $6 like the card I was going to buy you.  Which I know matters to you, my financial-minded Valentine. :) )

I know I am a lot to put up with at times.  A fiery temper.  Kinda selfish.  More than my fair share of crazy.  Dramatic.  Emotional.   Ridiculous.  "Annoying." (hehe)  

Despite all that, I know you love me.  You always have.  You were the guy who sent me flowers and chocolate even when we lived far apart and I'm pretty sure we weren't even dating.  The guy who wrote me real letters, lovely letters, even when email would have been easier.  The guy who felt confident about marrying me even after my own parents tried to "warn him" kindly that I am a lot to handle.  

The guy who took on took on my debt when we got married and didn't blink an eye.  (Then put us on a strict budget to pay it off, of course.)

You, my Valentine, are more than I could have hoped for.  Romance and comfort and excitement all rolled into one.

Thanks for sitting through countless episodes of the Bachelor with me, telling me you love my hair no matter how short or long it is, coming to my rescue always, being the calm + logical one when I am the total spaz, and trusting me as your partner in life.

I thank God for you every day.

The most dedicated reader of this little blog.

My Hubby.

Will you be mine - forever?  

Love,
Your Wifey

thanks for being so fun - and for thinking I am fun, too!

vaseline and a wind-burnt face make you look years younger!

This was my first time finishing a run in a very long time (ever?) where I questioned whether or not I could really reach my goal.  Last week I finished tired but as though I could have gone another mile.  This week I hit a wall with three miles left, mentally, but mostly physically.  My knees hurt, my legs felt like I was dragging two useless stumps along with every step, and my feet did not feel great.

But I finished the seventeen miles, walked (limped) a bit to aid recovery, and hobbled home.  

Instead of accomplishment I felt fear.  Fear that I would never make it to twenty-six miles.

Hubby and kiddos were encouraging as Hubby helped me stretch out my poor, poor hamstrings and hips.  The kiddos stood over me he did so, staring down with silly smiles and placing various magnets (they are really into magnets right now) on my face.  It was bizarrely comforting.

Then I went about my normal post-run rituals: first and foremost, getting a frothy, delicious chai tea latte at Panera, along with a French toast bagel with cream cheese.

this makes me happy!

I made a couple other necessary stops and a woman who owned one of the stores admired my wedding rings and told me I looked "too young to be married."  Wha????

I replied that it is probably because I have vaseline smeared all over my face to keep it warm/not chapped during my run, so I look like a greasy-faced teenager.  *awkward laughter from me*

She stared at me and I made a mental note to simply say 'thank you' when someone compliments me.

apparently she didn't notice my crow's feet???

Anyway, I think I really need to a) figure out how to work my legs out better...or stretch more effectively and b) work on my mental game.  I have one more long run slated before my cut-back week and I really want it to go better.

Any advice is welcome!!!

What do YOU do to get through a long run or hard workout when you feel mentally "done"? 

What yoga poses or stretches do you find most effective post-run or post-workout?

Last week's training...
Sunday: Recovery day - no workouts.
Monday: this 10 minute intense lower ab workout and this 10 minute core workout during naps; PM gym - light cardio + circuit
Tuesday: random free weight arm exercises, and this 18 minute Miley Cyrus leg workout  (I don't care how you feel about Miley, she's got great gams...this is a great lower body workout to do while watching your favorite show - super repetitive!) PM gym - 5K treadmill run at a 7:45 average pace
Wednesday: this 10 minute booty barre workout this 16 minute 'Miranda Kerr' butt workout during naps; PM gym - light cardio
Thursday: this VS Ab Workout during naps; PM gym - the same fartlek workout on the treadmill I did last week
Friday: AM yoga class
Saturday: 17 mile run

+ + + + + + +

And here are some random photos from last week with the lil blondies.  We have fun.

don't let this disgruntled expression fool you.  he spent a lot of time painting his face and was very proud of it.

eating a post-facepainting cookie.  I mean, it was hard work and all.

"inside" a fish tank at the children's museum.  this wins the "creepiest photo" award for the week.

we finally had a warm-ish day on Sunday - so we headed to the park!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Whatever your fitness goals, train hard!

january diy : colorful play tent!

I love crafting and just being creative in general -- despite not having a natural propensity for it (meaning : I am impatient and disorganized!) So crafting for me usually means a lot of unfinished projects lying around the house, and lots of mess! Sure, I do get a lot completed...and it is that satisfaction that drives me to keep on crafting/diy-ing. I love seeing things in my house that I had a hand in creating!

This year I decided to pick one project per month, in an effort to focus more on one task at a time and be more organized!  Oh, and save money by buying only what is necessary for that month's craft.  (Seriously, I have a lot of crap I've never used in my basement and crafting bin.)

Last month's project: A play tent for the family room!  I blogged in this post about wanting a striped play tent.  But instead of spending lots of cash ($160!) for this cute one...I made my own humble, yet still cute, version! (around $40!)

There are plenty of DIY no-sew tutorials out there for tents, but I fell in love with this tutorial about making a simple A-frame with colorful yarn-wrapped posts.

Here is how mine turned out....

I might eventually get a rug for underneath...but for now these colorful tiles do the trick!

I purchased the fabric from IKEA!

I took these pics right after I finished it.  Lil Girl is checking things out cautiously...while wielding some sort of weapon.

We've been playing in it quite a bit -- usually filling it with pillows and blankets and having "sleepovers."  I love how it adds to the "kid-friendliness" of our family room...and I am excited to add more decor to this room to make it feel more "done."  

Things to come in this space...

• A large antique "built-in" cabinet that purchased at an antique store -- which will replace the old + ugly cabinets/shelves we currently have.

• a DIY coffee table made from salvaged barn wood from my parent's farm

• curtains!  I plan to make them myself...so it could be a while...

• a cute gallery wall!  I am currently gathering items I want to put here.  I have a vision and it is VERY slowly coming together.

What are you currently working on in your home?

fartleks + second winds

This past week I did a fartlek on the treadmill for the first time. "Fartlek" (heh, heh) is apparently one of those terms that all runners should just know.  So now I do!  Basically, it is an interval training run, varying speed and incline.  Here is what I can tell you: by the end, I had run 5 miles, it had gone by FAST because of all the changes, my head was dizzy from staring at the numbers on the chart, and I was dripping sweat.  Okay that might have been because I had dressed improperly for such an intense run, but still.  Hard work - and an awesome way to run on the treadmill!

The one I did was fairly fast, but there are plenty you can find on Pinterest that are a slower pace overall. (Or faster...if you are fast like that.)

On Saturday I completed my sixteen mile run!  It was rough, ya'll.  And cold.  Which is probably why it was so rough.  I am ready for warm weather, because I am hoping I will run faster then.  My respect for long-distance runners in Minnesota (my home state) has greatly increased.  I mean, if I am complaining about temps in the low 20s, I can't even imagine running in a hard Minnesota winter.  With snow.  But I guess your body just adjusts?  I think I have lost all my Minnesota winter toughness.

//source//

Anyway, no major hills on this run, but I tried to mix up my route a bit.  Oh, and I found it interesting that I got a second wind at around mile nine.  Nine!  I needed it, too.

Last week's training...
Sunday: Recovery day - no workouts.
Monday: this 10 minute core workout and this 10 minute barre workout (oh my - looooove barre workouts!) during naps; PM gym - light cardio + circuit
Tuesday: PM gym - this fartlek run on the treadmill

//source//

Wednesday: this 40 minute bikini body workout and this 16 minute 'Miranda Kerr' butt workout during naps; no PM gym...I felt wiped out, and Fin was sick.
Thursday: this VS Ab Workout during naps; PM gym - the fartlek treadmill run (again!) I felt much more efficient the second time!
Friday: AM yoga class
Saturday: 16 mile run

If you've been following along you've noticed I am sneaking in 10-40 minute workouts during the kids' naps, just in my living room - no equipment necessary.  I love this because it is super convenient, prevents me from snacking during the nap period, and has been the key for me toning up recently!  Even 10 minutes extra core training a day helps!

Other notes : 
I started following this running blogger and LOVE HER : www.hungryrunnergirl.com

This weeks "dirty cheat meal" : an entire box of girl scout cookies...and a can of Dr. Pepper.  Oh, the shame!  ;) It was a post-long run binge that wish I could say I regret...but I don't.   I buy two boxes of GS cookies a year, and I always seem to eat the Tagalongs all at once.  At least this year I had just burned approximately 1600 calories during my run and could feel less guilty.

Runner's logic.

How was your training week?  

girlie things.

I never knew how much having a girl would affect me...

....having a girl who is apparently just like me.

Sure, she looks a lot like I looked at her age...

blonde, curls, blue eyes, stocky build.

But more than that, we have a lot of personality similarities,

from what I hear from my parents, photos and home movies that I used to pore over, observations from my husband, 

and my own memories of being a tot.

She's an introvert - she loves her crib and is totally fine playing in there by herself for a while after waking up.  (Cormac has never been this way - he wants out and to be around people as soon as he wakes up!)  She loves social interaction for a little while...but you can tell when she reaches her limit and all she wants is Mama.  She has perfected the stiff-arm if anyone gets in her way of this.

She is a total button-pusher.  She knows exactly what you don't want her to do and will purposely do it and watch your face, while smiling a mischievous smile, for a reaction.  Most of the time I find this amusing, but Cormac does not.  Whenever he wants to be left alone she laughs uproariously and tries to hug him and wrestle him.  I remember tormenting my little brother, as well as my older sister, just like this.

I would say that I have seen the light as to how annoying unwanted hugs are...

but I knew it back then even back then

That is what made it fun!  

We make the same facial expressions.  The "piggy-face" I constantly made as a kid she has down perfectly.  She also has her "intense look" (or "RBF") when she is concentrating even mildly, which I am known for.   I often get mistaken for "angry" and "serious" and even "stuck up" because of my facial expressions.  So she has that to look forward to.

She also loves all things girlie.

Her favorite activity (besides annoying her brother) is playing with my jewelry.

We recently reached important "hair milestones" with her first ponytail, a teeny tiny one, and first pigtails!

kinda pathetic...but I'll take it!

piggy tails!  (ignore the fact that she is eating toast...on the couch...)

 She also is enamored with fingernails.  Not only does she not mind at all having them trimmed, but she brings me nail polish, always bright pink, and says, "paint" in a rather bossy tone.  I happily oblige and she stands perfectly still while I paint each tiny nail.  Then we both blow on them to dry, and I tell her to "wave 'em like you just don't care!" and she waves her wet nails deftly through the air and it is honestly the cutest.  Just love how serious she is about not messing up her 'manicure.'  

check out those pink nails!

eating cake together.

Anyway, we have fun, us girls.

(And Cormac.  it should be pointed out that Cormac also loves playing with my jewelry and having his nails painted. I steer him away from the fluorescent pink, though.)

cutting back on mileage - but not on food!

It is probably pretty sad that I ran ten miles this week and I feel like it was "only ten miles" and I really wish I would have run more.

It's okay to say it : "Get a grip, G!"

The marathon training mentality has perhaps taken over.  But I am never blind to my own crazy.

Anyway, my plan was to cut back my mileage to give my body a little break before amping back up to sixteen miles, seventeen, etc.  Turns out I really needed it.  While I had some awesome workouts this week and ate pretty well, Wednesday night I got hellaciously ill. A 24-hour stomach virus, which kept me up all night vomiting, and then I was in bed all day Thursday resting while my saintly Hubby cared for the kiddos.

So the ten mile plan turned out to be much needed.  I had wanted to work on my speed during this shorter run, but I ended up still running fairly slow in the cold and still feeling like I was in slow motion the entire time.

I am looking forward to running in the warmer months!  Call me weird, but I would much rather run in the heat than the cold.

Prior to my run, my week looked like this...

Sunday: Recovery day - no workouts.
Monday: this 10 minute core workout during naps; PM gym - light cardio
Tuesday: this 40 minute bikini body workout (looooove this one!) during naps; PM gym - light cardio
Wednesday: this 16 minuteVS Ab workout at naps. PM gym - 5K at full-speed on the treadmill (which ended up being no where near my PR. Darn treadmill!)
Thursday: Sick!  So, no workouts.
Friday: AM yoga class
Saturday: 10 mile run

As far as nutrition goes, I've been really trying to wrap my head around the fact that it is 70% diet and only 30% exercise that gets your body healthy/lean.  I've always been more of a "I work out a ton, therefore I can eat whatever I want" kinda gal.  But now I am adapting a new way of thinking: um, reality.

//source//

Not that I am going to work out less...but I wanna always be striving to eat cleaner/better.  If you click on the source link of the above image, you'll go to a health blog post with some good advice on it.  I particularly like #8 : Eat enough calories!  I'll be honest, a huge mistake I make some days is to think I'm being healthy by skimping on the required amount of daily calories...which is particularly detrimental when you work out a lot.   I will think that I can "drink my meals" (meaning green smoothies, not wine) and by the kids' naptime I end up crashing, not having any energy to get any intense cardio in, and then eating crap.  Don't do this!  I think green smoothies are awesome for people like me who don't naturally love snacking on vegetables...but I still need actual solid food.  The best days I have (where I feel the best mentally and physically) are when I eat frequently (every few hours) and eat substantially (clean, whole foods...and some grains!  Gym rats and runners need grains!)

Here's to a good week of training -- and eating enough!

I lift my eyes unto the hills...and I think : oh crap.

So I mixed it up a little (lot) this week during my long run.

After running about six miles I then decided to switch up my usual route and include some hills.  My hubby had described to me how to get from my normal route up to a great hilly spot nearby.   What he failed to mention was that to get to the hills this way I would need to go up steps.  A LOT of steps.  A horrific amount of steps.  So I went from a great running pace to a dead stop.  My legs literally stopped moving when I tried to run up the steep, leafy steps in the 20 degree cold.  So I walked as fast as I could, and tried to keep telling myself that coming back down would be easier.

I finally got to the top where the two older gentleman runners I had been following were catching their breath and the friendly guys they were, one asked me, "Where'd you go?  You were right behind me for a while there."

I tried to answer him but I was so out of breath, and my lips were literally frozen and immobile that some jibberish came out and then I managed to articulate that I had never run this way and wasn't expecting all the steps.   We all shared some frozen chortles and the other guy asked me, "Do I need to get you a ticket back down?" (a question I did not fully understand) and I managed to smile an idiotic smile and reply cheerfully, " Nope!  I need to run some hills!"  and a ran in slow motion away from them, up a steep incline.  I'm sure they thought I was a nutcase.

Ugh.  Hills.  

I hate hills.  I like miles and miles and miles of flat.  I could probably run forever on a flat surface.  But I ran around the hilly neighborhood for a while and then happily went back down all those damn steps back to my safe, regular route.

I hope during the marathon (which, in fact, has a lot of hills) there is someone holding this sign at every hill...

//source//

I finished up my fifteen-miler without further ado.  It was cold, but not as cold as last week.  My water got a little icy but did not freeze.

What did the rest of my week look like?

Sunday: Recovery - no workouts

Monday: 'Family night' at the gym.  Not officially -- but recently our whole fam has started heading  to the gym when Hubby gets home from work.  That night I think I did some light cardio on the elliptical. I need to start writing these things down.  

Tuesday: PM gym again and I probably did more light cardio??

Wednesday: Early AM spinning class!  Then during naps I did this ab workout...try it!!!!

My abs are finally starting to feel/look toned again after recently kicking my workouts into high gear...just a year and a half after giving birth to my second baby.  Better late than never!  Progress, people!

Thursday: PM gym - did a 3 mile speed run

Friday: AM yoga class

Saturday: 15 mile run

Oh, and my Saturday night "dirty cheat meal?"  Chinese food!  I ordered my usual.  Hrrrm.  Not as satisfying as last week's burger and fries.  Felt pretty icky afterward.  My 'usual' might have to go on my running list of 'foods my tummy no longer can handle.'  Yuck.

Speaking of food, though...

I made these chicken enchiladas with avocado sauce for dinner one night and they were AMAZING.  Put them on your "to make" list!

Hope you worked hard and ate deliciously this past week!