Whew

It's finally getting easier...the running that is. I've been consistent with my runs this week. I've managed to crank out six two mile runs since last Sunday. Now, while this is not a lot compared to the distance I was running last year at this time, it's a releif to finally be back into the swing of things. My hamstrings don't hurt after running anymore, and my breathing is starting to find it's normal running rythm. I cannot even begin to describe how much better today's run was than those runs earlier this week.
In other news, we took my husband to the airport yesterday morning. He'll be working and doing some training in Atlanta for the next two weks, so I'm going to be getting a taste of what single parenting is like while he's gone. Thank god I don't have to work and take care of the baby on my own. I think I'd lose my mind if I had to do all of my normal duties while he was goone on top of what I'm already doing.

Take that, evil neighbor fiend

We have a neighbor who completely sucks. No doubt about it, the man just doesn't have a clue as to how to be a decent neighbor. He's the yokel who planted eight really large pine trees between his yard and ours, (good fences make good neighbors, but since our city has a restriction against fences, trees are the next best thing). Genius planted these trees a year ago and he placed them in four inch holes (the root balls were at least sixteen inches in diameter) and then just mounded dirt up around the portion of the root ball that stuck out of the ground still. He's the same idiot who only stained part of his deck and left the rest unfinished. He's also the same guy who dug a four inch deep trench from the corner of his house where the drainspout empties to the corner of his lot were the sewer is (which borders our yard also). That trench sat there open for at least eight or nine months until the city finally noticed and made him fill it in, at which point he had to pay for a truckload of dirt to fill in the hole. Anyway, I digress.
Yesterday I noticed that his wife was out in the yard with their little boy, who's maybe three or four years old. He was riding a small four-wheeler around their yard and into some of the neighboring yards. I waited until he rode into our yard, at which point I politely asked her to not allow him to ride his four-wheeler in our yard.
Now, before you all go thinking I'm a big meanie, let me just add that I have no problem with the kids in the neighborhood playing in our back yard, as long as we're not using it. I do however have a problem with motorized vehicles that could potentially destroy my grass, leaving a mud hole for my dog to do his business in.
Anyway, I thought that would be the end of the whole situation, oh how naive am I?!?! Today I was taking the dog out to do his business and she came out on their deck and started yelling at me about how I had better make sure I cleaned up after him, as her son had ridden through dog waste yesterday and she was not pleased about this. I apologized and asked if she knew where the waste was, as I would make sure to clean it up and I would try to keep him out of their yard in the future. Imagine my surprise when she told me that the waste in question was in my own yard!
I should have just let things go, but then she started spouting off about how I needed to come clean up his four-wheeler and then the husband came out and started telling me how my failure to clean up the animal waste in my own yard more diligently was bringing their property values down.
I lost it. I unloaded on this man about how he was the last one in the entire neighborhood who should be talking about anyone else bringing down his property values, as his house is the biggest eyesore in the neighborhood and how all the neighbors think he's a lazy turd who needs to get a clue when it comes to finishing projects that he's started. Needless to say, he'll probably try to burn my house down tonight.
In my defense, I'd had a really bad day with a baby who just wouldn't stop crying and refused to nap despite utter exhaustion. Hopefully he'll be embarassed enough to do something about all the half finished shit around his house. If so, it was a rant well directed.

Okay, so my college roomie's plan is this...

She and her husband just completed the Ironman Wisconsin (they are super studs, for real) and have decided that they would like to try to motivate their friends and families to live healthier lifestyles and be more active. So, they're coordinating what they're calling Go Family and Friends (to play off the new St. Louis Marathon name of Go St. Louis). They've challenged their friends and families to run or walk the half or full marathon here in St. Louis the first weekend of April. Angie (former college roomie) has offered to reimburse the entry fee to any member of her family or friends who actually sign up for and complete the race, if they've never done a marathon or half before.
So, while I don't qualify for the reimbursement of my entry fee, as I've done too many races, I am going to do the race to show support for what I think is a totally cool idea. I'm also trying to recruit my own friends and family to join our little gang for the race. While I won't be offering the financial incentive that she's offering, I will offer training support and advice to "my team" and we'll have a totally fun time doing this. So far, two of my closest friends from college are comitted, and I've got to try to talk the third into it. Her excuse for not participating is that "she's a fat, lazy turd" but I'm not buying what she's selling.

Well, that was interesting...

I did my first run since having Shannon this morning. It was a lot tougher than I anticipated it would be. I'm not really sure why I thought it would be easy, I mean after all, it's been almost a full eight weeks since I've ran and it's been at least four since I've done any even slightly fast paced walking. Anyway, long story short, I ran two measly miles on the treadmill, and they kicked my ass. I managed to keep a decent ten minute mile pace, but I was most definitely sucking wind. Five hours later, my legs are slightly sore, and my abs are very uncomfortable. (That's probably a byproduct of the fact that according to my husband, my abs feel like bread dough) Believe or not, this statement did not piss me off, because it's 100% accurate right now. My stomach is gross.
Things I learned during and immediately before my run today:
1. I need a new sports bra, my usual one is less than supportive now.
2. A surefire way to empty your colon is to lace on your running shoes. Normally this effect occurs during the run, today all I had to do was put my shoes on. I know, way TMI, but what the hell, runners share all the gory details.
3. I never realized before how hot my torso gets when I run, I seriously felt like my entire trunk was on fire after the first mile.
4. Running is not, not, not fun when you're this out of shape. Thank god I didn't take the whole forty weeks of pregnancy off.

Anyway, at least I'm running again. I'm going to stick to the two mile distance this week and hopefully next week I'll be able to up it to three and then start building a base again. I've decided that I'm staying close to home this spring racing season (mainly because I won't have any vacation time left to travel after my maternity leave.) I haven't decided on a 1/2 or full event, but I have managed to get two of my girlfriends from college to commit to running the 1/2 marathon in St. Louis this coming April, so I'm pretty excited about that. My college roomie has this great plan to get people in her life to take responsibility for their health, it's called Get Fit weekend and she concocted it on her own...but more about that at a later date.

It's rare that I find forwarded email useful...

The History of the Middle Finger: Well, now......here's something I never knew before, and now that I know it, I feel compelled to share it with my more intelligent friends in the hope that they, too, will feel edified. Isn't history more fun when you know something about it?
Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future. This famous English longbow was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew").
Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, See, we can still pluck yew! Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodentals fricative F', and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute! It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird."
IT IS STILL AN APPROPRIATE SALUTE TO THE FRENCH TODAY!
And yew thought yew knew every plucking thing

Today is my husband's first day back to work

Since Shannon was born. I was dreading being here by myself with the baby all day long, especially since it's been a little chilly outside the past two days and I've been a little reluctant to take the baby out in the cooler weather for any period of time. So far things seem to be going well though. I just got her to lay down for a nap, so with any luck, she'll sleep for another hour or so and I can get some stuff done around here. She's had a busy morning, what with playing and singing, and reading books. She's also been incredibly hungry, and doesn't seem to be falling right asleep after eating today. This made getting her to take a nap somewhat difficult. This afternoon, since it's warmer out today we'll be taking a walk and I'll hopefully get to ride the stationary bike this afternoon as well.
Only six days until I get to run again!

So the game plan is...

To fix my incredibly bad eating habits and slowly ease myself back into the running game. I've only got about three puonds to go until I'm back at my pre-baby weight, but in all honesty I could have lost about ten pounds from what I was prior to getting pregnant and still been okay...So the goal is to lose thirteen pounds between now and the beginning of December, which is when spring marathon training should commence. I've not yet decided if I'll be doing a full or half mari this spring, mostly I'm waiting to see how much actual "free" time I have after going back to work at the beginning of November. If the last three weeks are any indication, I'll be doing a half marathon instead of a full. Boston may have to wait another couple of years.
I've got the green light from the doctor to start ramping up my exercise routine. And thus far I've taken the baby on a thirty minute walk every day this weeek and I've also ridden the stationarty bike for an hour during her early eavening naps every day since Sunday. So far I'm feeling pretty good without any soreness or problems resulting from the increase in activity. I'm not allowed to sstart jogging until a week from this coming Sunday, but I'm so looking forward to it that it's kind of pathetic. it's been almost seven weeks since I've actually ran at all. I'm going through just a smidge of withdrawal.

Could I possibly get any less sleep?

I was totally spoiled by the first five or seven days of Shannon's life...she slept so well and so did I. Now that she's a little older (my sweet baboo is two weeks old already today) she's starting to want to spend a little less time napping. Which is cool, but she's really too little to entertain herself, which means that if she's awake, she's wanting to be held and have someone entertain her. She was up until one in the morning last night...not a good thing at all. (But on the plus side, once I got her to go to sleep, she slept until almost six)
So, needless to say, we're trying to keep her up a lot more during the day. This afternoon she did a pretty good job of staying awake, and she's taking her last nap right now as I blog (otherwise I wouldn't be blogging). I figure she'll wake up again around six or seven and be hungry again and then I'll try to keep her up until around eight or nine so she'll sleep a bit more. I know she'll get her sleep schedule sorted out sooner or later, but I'm going to continue being tired until she gets it straightened out.