Category Archives: Family

Comfort Care

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Thank you so much for the kind comments and emails about my grandmother. She is being cared for by both the nursing home and hospice nurses. The goal is to keep her comfortable and pain free. It’s never easy to see a loved one as they near the end of life. As a nurse I have gone through this process with a number of patients, but never a loved one. In my nearly 40 years I am so blessed to have so much of my family and friends still with me.

Question #2 on the Massachusetts ballot next Tuesday is the Death with Dignity Initiative which essentially would allow for a terminally ill patient to receive a prescription for a lethal medication. Of all 3 ballot questions this is the most difficult for me. On the surface I believe that everyone has the right to die with dignity, but in delving deeper into the proposal I came away with many questions and what if scenarios; namely what if the diagnosis was incorrect. Another grave concern is the potential misuse by someone other than the patient of such a prescription.

I think more important than offering lethal drugs to people medical education for both doctors and nurses should include more instruction on comfort care for patients nearing the end of life. One of the most frustrating things I have witnessed with my grandmother over recent days is the reluctance to give her more pain medication. She has been in a lot of pain. Even this morning when I went to visit, the first thing she told me was that she was hurting. She is on a morphine drip as of yesterday. Thankfully the hospice nurse was aware of her pain and was working on an order to increase the dose.  As a granddaughter I have sat dutifully by her side as much as possible holding her hand, rubbing her back and helping her change her position in bed. As a nurse I have sat quietly cringing at the lack of attention paid to my grandmother’s pain relief. Nurses comment that she just had something an hour ago or are nowhere to be found. About a week ago a doctor commented that “we don’t want her taking too much pain medication.” Why, I thought, if it makes her feel more comfortable then why not?

Noni is a tough cookie. She is still somewhat alert and aware of who we are when we are in her presence. I wish I could take her home and sit with her all day. It breaks my heart to be away from her, but we are all doing the absolute best we can to manage our lives minimally while we spend as much of the time we have left with Noni.

The one thing that has brought her more joy than anything else in the past 6 years has been her only great grandchild. Carlos and Noni were two peas in a pod. They sang together, colored, played and hugged. I’m beyond proud of my little guy. He has been incredible with Noni. Many children would be frightened or uncomfortable in a nursing home. Carlos has quickly won his way into the good graces of both residents and staff at the nursing home. He has pushed Noni in the wheelchair, covered her with blankets and even fed her. He holds her hand and hugs and kisses her. He understands as much as he should for his age. I am honest, but I keep it at his level.

I don’t want to close on a sad note. Noni is 86 years old and has lived a long and wonderful life. So I will end with some fun facts about my grandmother.

  • her parents were originally from Italy
  • when Noni’s father came through Ellis Island they changed his last name from Fusco to Fento
  • her father lived until the age of 92
  • she is the only surviving child of her parents 5 children
  • Noni supported herself and two daughters by working as a hairdresser in their home and then later got a job at a local hospital to provide for her retirement. It’s no secret where my work ethic comes from.
  • When I was a teen ager I told Noni I was going to see a concert with Ratt and Poison. She just shook her head and laughed. She then told her friends and coworkers that I was off to go see “Rat Poison.”
  • Noni always made homemade sauce, tortellini and ravioli, needless to say neither Ragu nor Chef Boyardee were welcome in our cabinets!
  • Noni never took time off from work except for the 2 weeks every September to make fried dough at the well known fall fair in our area, otherwise known as The Big E.
  • She drove until about 2 years ago. Her car was a huge white Chevy aka The White Shadow.
  • When she was in her 70s Noni took a part-time job at a nearby elementary school as a lunch room attendant. She worked at the job until she was 84. She adored the children and they loved her. They all called her Grandma.

To me she will always be Noni. Thanks for letting me share.

I do have a marathon training update in the works as well as post marathon fitness plans. I want to wish Jacky over at Jax House  lots of good luck as she gets ready to run the NY Marathon on Sunday. Word this morning was that it is definitely on despite the destruction from hurricane Sandy. I am super excited for her.

 

 

My Noni

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My Noni has always been one of the most special people in my life. Aside from being her first grandchild I was also born on her birthday. Here we are on our most recent birthday this past August.

Birthday Girls

I know that no matter what she claimed about loving all of her grandchildren the same there was no denying that special bond we shared. I could gush on and on about what a truly wonderful person she is, not a bad, jealous, ill willing bone in her body. However, I’m drained emotionally and physically right now.

Noni is in the end stages of colorectal cancer. Last Friday she had a stroke. On Monday she was placed in a nursing home. This has pained my family greatly. My Mom and my aunt, her only children, struggled with the decision, but she cannot be alone for her own safety. Despite my grandmother’s pleas for the better part of her elderly life to remain as long as possible in her home she is, much to our surprise, very happy at the nursing home so far. She keeps telling us how comfortable she is and how nice everyone is being to her.

She is not the same though. She is very weak and tires easily. Her left side is nearly immobile. She needs assistance with everything including eating and repositioning herself in bed. She sleeps a lot, eats very little, chit chats with us briefly and occasionally allows us to wheel her to other parts of the nursing home.

I’ve been going to the nursing home everyday to be with her, sometimes twice a day. It’s where I need to be and want to be right now.

Friend Makin’ Mondays: Uniquely You

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This weekend flew by. Carlos had a soccer game on Saturday, two soccer games and ice skating on Sunday. I am in the midst of working a six nights so that I can extend my days off at the end of the week. I’ve been cranking along with marathon training. My runs have been really great lately. I love my new new running tank tops. I wish the weather would stay warm enough to keep wearing them. I’m hoping Philly has a mild warm front the day of the marathon.

I cannot believe it’s Monday again which means Friend Makin’ Monday.  If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so everyone can see your FMM questions. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

 

Uniquely You

 

1) Do you prefer to talk or text?

I actually prefer to text. I love my iPhone but the phone quality stinks and it’s often difficult to hear people or worse the call gets dropped. Plus I communicate better in writing.

2) How often do you make your bed?

Absolutely everyday! Most days my husband makes the beds because I get home after he and Carlos get up.

3) What sounds do you hear right now?

The hum of the washing machine in the basement. It’s awfully quiet now that the little guy is in school all day.

4) List three things that you always carry with you.

iPhone, water and keys (No I don’t carry my wallet all the time especially when I go running. One car break in was enough!)

5) What are your favorite TV shows?

I just discovered Drop Dead Diva on Netflix and love it. I also like the Amazing Race though I missed last season. Hopefully I can watch the new season online. I love How I Met Your Mother, but I haven’t seen any of last season so no spoilers please!

6) Is there a hobby that you’d like to devote more time to?

I would love to have time to learn more about photography.

7) What is your favorite drink?

Water

8) Share a couple of cool facts about your family.

My sister and my son have the same birthday. My grandmother and I have the same birthday.

9) List one thing that you will do for yourself today.

I will run 10 miles.

10) Share something that you’re thankful for today.

I’m always thankful for my husband and son so I will go with something else. I am thankful to have a job I enjoy and wonderful, supportive co-workers (they don’t even mind me blabbing about running).

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions.  Don’t forget to visit Kenlie’s blog and link up in the comments!

Summer Races: Lake Wyola Road Race

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Back in April I announced my plans to run the Philadelphia Marathon in November. Despite the fact that I haven’t written a single post about marathon training I have been training since July. My training came to a screeching halt early on thanks to a sore hamstring followed by a stretched Achilles. I am happy to report that both issues have since resolved. Marathon training is going well despite some bumps in the road, scheduling challenges and a serious lack of time. I have competed in 3 races that I have yet to write about. Two were repeat races that I hope to make an annual tradition and the most recent was a new race in a new place.

Lake Wyola Road Race

On June 10, 2012 I ran this local race for the second time. This was the 32nd running of the Lake Wyola Road Race. Carlos and I frequent the lake all summer. The small beach is a part of the Massachusetts State Parks system. It is a hidden gem about 40 minutes away from home. Race proceeds benefit the Lake Wyola Association.

The website describes the course perfectly. “This scenic 4.8 mile race starts at the Lake Wyola Association Hall and runs counter clockwise around the lake on mostly tree-canopied country roads. The first half of the course is paved with a challenging uphill climb. The second half is dirt roads with a small bit of pavement at the finish line.” 

The uphill climb in this race is a great precursor to another race I run each summer. I love this race because it is extremely well organized, very family friendly and the course is picturesque. The pre and post race offerings are among the best of any race I’ve run. The volunteers go above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome and at home in the community of Lake Wyola.

Lake Wyola Road Race 2012

Going into this race I assumed I would do better than last year. However, it didn’t turn out to be one of my best races or even a great run. I broke some cardinal rules which led to a near disaster. I worked the night before which I try very hard not to do before a race. I ate nothing at work and then instead of my usual peanut butter toast and banana I ate only the banana and peanut butter before we left for the race which was a little too early to have eaten. I was not well hydrated despite the heat. Training had been sporadic due to the shin splint I got from ice skating in the spring.

I ran more of the uphill portion this year than I did last year so I felt strong going out. However, on the back half of the course I felt shaky, sluggish and I knew I was slowing down. It was hot and there were no water stations for the last mile and a half or so.

I wrote about last year’s road race here. I had a great experience last year. Below are my times for both races.

Lake Wyola Road Race – 47:22
Shutesbury, MA – June 10, 2012

Lake Wyola Road Race – 46:35
Shutesbury, MA – June 18, 2011

At first read it probably sounds like I’m making excuses for my poor performance this year. I admit I was a little disappointed when I crossed the finish line. As with any “bad” run I used this experience as an opportunity to learn something about myself and how to train better.

Having just started back at Weight Watchers about a month before the race I was still navigating the points system and how the program would work best with my level of activity. At that time I was backing away from bread and grains because of their high points value. This race taught me that I needed to find a way to incorporate grains back into my diet or marathon training would be a nightmare. I did not fuel properly before this race and I felt the effects especially during the last half of the race. I now use my extra weekly points to be able to eat a healthy amount of whole grain foods. Funny thing is that once I began eating the grains again I began losing more weight.

This race proved to me why I don’t typically run races after working all night. Sure I can run a training run after working all night because I’m not pushing myself to beat my last time.

Despite the fact that I knew it was going to be hot I didn’t hydrate myself properly in the hours before the race. Since I was at work I also drank a couple cups of coffee which didn’t help my hydration.

Silly Carlos

No matter how a race turns out it is still a great excuse to be with my family, do something outdoors and be around other active people. Carlos and Orlando were there to cheer me on. I appreciate all of their support over the last couple of years. I realize that my commitment to running relies on their support. On days when I just don’t feel like going out for a training run my husband is always ready to boot me out the door. When I need to wake up at the crack of dawn to workout because that’s my only opportunity for the day, again my husband will make sure I get out of bed and go. As much as I run these races and workout almost everyday for my health and well being, I also do it for that little guy in the photo above. He is my world and I try to do everything on my part to make sure I will be here to drive him crazy see him grow up.

Lake Wyola I’ll be back next year and looking for a personal record!

Bathing Suits

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There was a summer during my teen years when I routinely sat around my aunt’s pool in baggy sweaters and baggy stretch pants insisting that I was “fine.” I’m from New England where the temperatures vary, but summer is still fairly hot so I doubt I was actually “fine.” I vividly remember one ensemble being a combination of a hot pink long sleeved sweater and yellow pants. Yikes! I obviously refused to get in a bathing suit that summer. I have been self-conscious about my body for as long as I can remember. Bathing suits have been the absolute bane of my existence for many years.

Junior high swimming was anxiety provoking. Thank goodness for makeup sharing induced pink eye or rather spraying the hair spray a little too close to my eye about 10 minutes before swim class so I could go to the school nurse and feign pink eye. Worked like a charm as did menstrual cramps, headaches and oops I forgot my bathing suit. In order to makeup the swim classes I missed all I had to do was swim 20 laps after school. The swim instructor allowed me to keep a T-shirt on over my bathing suit and there was no one there anyway besides the swim team who paid no mind to the random two or three people making up missed swim classes. Twenty laps was no trouble. I actually love to swim. I simply hated getting in the pool during swim class with all of my peers, boys and girls.

I was quite a good swimmer though. Twice the swim coach approached me about joining the swim team and twice I replied sure despite having no intentions of joining. In retrospect I regret that decision to this day. That is the one and only thing I would change if I had a do over because I believe it would have inadvertently altered the course of so many other events in my teenage life.

I’ve never been comfortable in a bathing suit. I have a quintessential pear shaped body so exposing my legs is nothing if not embarrassing. Only recently with the advent of the skirt tankini have I been able to feel even remotely comfortable on the beach or at a swimming pool. I initially felt a bit elderly, but then I found a couple of cuter styles of skirt tankinis. A flattering bathing suit for my figure and continued positive changes to my body have given me the confidence to wear a bathing suit when the need arises though I still keep my cover up or sun dress on as long as possible.

This past weekend I was in Florida with Carlos visiting my Dad and his girlfriend. It was a quick three night trip and it involved being in a bathing suit 90% of the time. We swam at his condo pool, the beach and on Saturday we spent the day at a water park. Initially at the water park I kept my cover up on, but quickly realized that it would simply be a nuisance because there were too many fun rides so I relegated all my belongings including the cover up and my flip flops to a locker. I walked around a water park for nearly 7 hours with nothing but my bathing suit on. You know what…I felt absolutely fantastic.

OK I didn’t exactly feel like I could grace the pages of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. I simply felt normal. I felt comfortable for the first time in nothing but a bathing suit, albeit a skirt tankini. I didn’t think about my weight, or how my body looked in the bathing suit. I was comfortable in my own skin.  I wanted to shout how good I felt or at least share it with someone. I didn’t do either. I just kept reveling in my head how worth it this journey has been. I’m so glad that despite my ups and downs with my weight I have never fully given up. I am grateful that I persisted and found a way to make fitness a priority in my life. I am proud of myself for continuing to learn more about nutrition, try new ways of eating and delve into the reasons why I’ve been overweight for so long.

After having my son I knew that I didn’t want to watch my him grow up while sitting on the sidelines of life. I wanted to be right there in the thick of it, running, playing, experiencing life with my family. I vowed that my weight issues would never inhibit my son’s life. Saturday was a really significant day for me. It was the first time I had ever been to a water park with my son. I rode every water slide, jumped in the pools, lounged on a tube while floating down the lazy river and sat at a picnic table for lunch in nothing but my bathing suit.

Good times!

What kind of bathing suit do you wear? Are you comfortable in it?

Shelburne Spring Half Marathon

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On Saturday I completed my fourth half marathon in Shelburne, VT. The morning was very cool and overcast which is actually great running weather. I always have to get a pre-race photo with my little guy. So here we are. He is actually really mad that he can’t go play on the huge school playground behind us.

Pre-race Mommy and Carlos shot

There was enough wind to make me put my sweatshirt on at the start of the race even though I knew I would want to ditch it a few miles in. This was a very small race. They cap registration at 450 runners, but only 162 runners signed up this year. It is touted as being one of the most beautiful courses in New England. The race descriptions reads, “The course will run you through some of the area’s most picturesque scenery including a portion of Shelburne Farms, the historic Ti Trail and along Shelburne Bay. ” It was indeed a gorgeous run. It was also an incredible hilly run. I absolutely loved the mix of trail and on road running. Running alongside the lake was so tranquil. The scenery made up for the lack of spectators.

The race started promptly at 7:30. It was extremely well organized from start to finish. There was no lack of volunteer support on the course and adequate water stations. As I mentioned in my last post my plan was to enjoy the race, have fun and run safely so as not to re-injure my shin. I had no pain in my shin as the race began. I started out at a moderate pace to get my breathing under control. Soon I found my groove and I flowed nicely through the first couple of miles before the first big hill.

I never wear my Garmin when I race and there were no time clocks along the way. I felt a bit slow especially with the constant uphill climbs and minimal downhill returns. By mile 8 I was ready to tear off my sweatshirt. I was in need of fuel and there was no water station until mile 10 so I ate my Gu while walking up a steep incline. I changed my bib to the front of my T-shirt and tied my sweatshirt around my waist. That made me feel instantly better and I picked up the pace again. I’m proud to say that was the only hill I walked up.

I played some mental games between miles 9-11. I kept telling myself that it is ok not to achieve a PR (personal record) in every race. I started to feel some discomfort in my left shin, but no pain. For the last couple of miles we were on a quiet trail. I loved it so much. I felt like I was alone on a training run.  I felt my pace quicken naturally and before I knew it I was back on the road. The finish line was only about a half mile away. I turned down the drive to the finish line and as I entered the chute I saw Carlos and Orlando. As bad as I am at taking photos, my dear husband is worse!! He did manage to get this one, just as I noticed the time clock ahead.

Shelburne Half Marathon Finish Line

Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt a surge of energy rise up inside me. I bolted for the finish and crossed with a new, very unexpected PR.

Time clock as I neared the finish line

I know it’s really hard to read but if you squint and hold your computer right up to your face you might notice the 2:14. Here is what my finish looked like in numbers.

Official finish time: 2:14:47 (10:17 pace)

Overall place: 139/162

Gender placement: 85/104 females

Age group (35-39) placement:  8th out of 9

I don’t usually break down all the stats for a race, but the results page for this race made it very easy to do so. I also pulled up all of my half marathons to visualize the progression of my times. They are in order of first to last.

Hartford ING Half Marathon in 10/2010 – 2:21:49 (10:49 pace)

Old Sandwich Road Half Marathon in 6/2011 – 2:16:51 (10:27 pace)

Monson Memorial Classic Half Marathon in 11/2011 – 2:22:57 (10:55 pace) – 1st race after the broken rib saga and super hilly course so I didn’t expect to PR, but I actually did much better than I thought I would

Shelburne Spring Half Marathon 5/2012 – 2:14:47 (10:17 pace)

I am really proud of my time. Despite the shin issue I felt well trained for the race and I am pleased that the speed training I have been doing since the Disney Marathon seems to be effective. I walked around the rest of the day with a huge grin on my face. Running challenges me in a way nothing else in my life ever has. I am in awe of what my body is capable of doing. Running truly makes me feel amazing.

This was a wonderful race experience and overall a great run. Of course I also used it as an excuse to enjoy a mini family weekend getaway. We stayed in Burlington for two nights. The weather perked up as the sun came out on Saturday afternoon. It turned out to be a very pleasant and relaxing weekend.

Shelburne Half Training – Week 6 and 7

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My half marathon training came to a screeching halt as of last Sunday when I stopped all formal exercise due to left shin and ankle pain. I rested, I took my homeopathic remedies, I iced, I ate healthy and drank lots of water. I did not exercise at all on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.  I really babied the left leg. By Wednesday I was ready for something but not running. The pain had diminished to a vague awareness that something had been sore. While Carlos was in school I went to the gym and did some upper body strength exercises as well as 20 minutes on the Arc Trainer which placed no impact on my legs. The weather was sunny and cool. I was itching to get outside so I left the gym and headed to the college for a walk around the pond. I ended up walking a very leisurely two miles while reading blogs on my phone and soaking up the sunshine. In my calendar I jotted down that I felt no pain just an awareness of sensation on the inner aspect of my left ankle. The shin actually felt fine, but I still returned home and iced my lower leg and ankle immediately.

Not wanting to push it I took Thursday off completely from exercise. By Friday I was pain free, no twinges of pain or sensations so I decided to run. I didn’t wear my Garmin. I just took off at a slow pace and I ran one full loop around the reservoir. I told myself before I set out that if I felt any discomfort or the slightest hint of pain I would stop running. It was ridiculously windy at the reservoir, but that didn’t stop me. I ran at a very comfortable pace. I was really just happy to be back out there. I walked at times because of the wind pushing at me. There seemed to be no escaping it. I felt like I was in a gigantic bowl and never once had the wind at my back.

This photo doesn't really show how windy it is, but the waves were kicking up with the wind.

After the run I went home and iced. I felt fine throughout the day and into the night at work. However, I decided to take it easy over the weekend and just do strength training and the Arc Trainer at the gym. I’ve discovered the medicine ball recently. Thanks to my Nike Training app and a Tone It Up workout posted by Errign the other day. I know it’s no big discovery but it’s new to me and I like the variation of exercises. Both Saturday and Sunday mornings were spent at the gym doing whatever I wanted except for running. I had no plan, just kind of winged it. It was a welcome change for me.

The weekend was busy but very enjoyable. On Saturday morning Orlando, Carlos and I were on clean up duty at the park where Carlos plays soccer. We raked and packed bags full of leaves and other debris still left over from the crazy fall weather last year. We returned to the field later in the day for Carlos’ soccer game. He scored his first goal and his team won!!! It was so exciting especially considering his team did not win one game last season. Carlos has been on cloud nine since, but not so much about scoring the goal. He is just really loving soccer this season. His new coach is fantastic. Many of the kids are the same and all the parents are super nice so it’s a good time at practice and the games.

My little soccer player

On Sunday Carlos and I played outside all morning into early afternoon. We played catch, cars, lounged on the grass and chit chatted. Later in the day Orlando and I walked along a local rail trail while Carlos rode his scooter. Despite the chill in the air we hit a nearby farm for local homemade ice cream on the way home. I had the honey ice cream. It was delicious. I’ve learned to order a kids size cone so I can enjoy myself without going overboard, plus I try to keep dairy to the bare minimum if possible. We were all exhausted that evening. Everyone chuckles when I tell them that my child goes to bed around 6:45-7pm most nights. It’s true but he’s also usually ready for bed by then. He sleeps really well because he is so active all day.

My precious boy...peeking in on him sleeping never gets old.

Since my longest long run throughout this training was 11 miles I woke up Monday itching to get a longish run in. I had absolutely no intentions of running a double digit run so I settled on about 7.5 miles, half of the half. Again I didn’t bring my Garmin, I just ran at a comfortable pace. I felt great throughout the run and after. I iced and took some Ibuprofen to ward off any exercise induced swelling. Perhaps it did its job or maybe I’m healed. Whatever the case I plan to take it easy the rest of the week. Today I did some strength training at the gym. Tomorrow I will do something, not sure what yet, maybe a walk while Carlos is at school or possibly a light short run. Thursday will be a rest day and Friday a walk.

I think it’s important to have goals and to strive to improve in everything you do, but not at the risk of injuring yourself permanently. I’m not an elite athlete, hell I’m not even an athlete. I cannot afford to hurt myself and risk being unable to work or care for my son. I hope to continue running comfortably for a very long time. I will always set goals and try to get better, but I assure you I will only push so far. If running has taught me anything it has taught me to listen very carefully to what my body is telling me.

Saturday morning is the half marathon in Shelburne, VT. I will be running this one for fun and with complete gratitude to my body for healing itself once again.

Sunny Saturday

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It’s gorgeous out today. I am sitting on my back deck catching up with blogs, email, etc. The sun feels fantastic.

About a week ago I wrote about a few things that were on my mind. I was really pleased to receive such honest comments on the post. I thought I would revisit the topics as to where things stand today.

  • Easter was full of candy as I expected. My mother actually fit entire Cadbury eggs into those little plastic eggs she used for the Easter egg hunt! There were also Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs and M&Ms. Seriously! I wanted to scream. Why can’t she at least put junk I dislike in the plastic eggs like Starburst and Skittles. I managed to unload the Cadbury eggs on another guest. The rest came home with us and went directly into the candy bowl high atop the pantry shelves so Carlos couldn’t get into it. It should have been put in a locked safe that only my husband could open.
  • Sugar – my food demons and I met head on this week. The demons won! I caved amidst a big bowl of acquired Easter candy, bake sale cookies I just had to sample before sending them off and PMS to boot. Yikes a recipe for disaster. I felt so weak and powerless. It was as if one bite led to more intense cravings and so on. I felt guilty and guiltier with each bite, yet I didn’t stop when I should have. It’s officially over now though. I haven’t quite hashed out all my feelings about the episode, but I know for a fact in years past I would have thrown in the towel completely. All bets would have been off and before I knew it I’d be praying that I didn’t get rid of my jeans in the next size up. Not this time. My pants still fit fine actually. In exchange for the sugar I’ve turned to fresh fruit and vegetables while my body recovers. I hope between now and the next time I will have found better coping mechanisms when confronted with an excess of the sweet stuff.
  • Grad School – my meeting with the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies went extremely well. I let her know up front of my intention to start the program next year and she was very supportive of my decision. She outlined the program for me. We discussed my goals and future plans. She also mentioned the possibility of incorporating one of our vacations to Mozambique into a potential practicum experience for me. There is the potential for tuition reimbursement if I decide to run clinical groups for their undergraduate nursing program. I left feeling rejuvenated and enthusiastic about continuing my education and much more sure of my decision to postpone my plans for a year.

In other news I had the most incredible run yesterday even though it wasn’t quite as long as I planned. I will discuss it more in my training post.

On Monday I am heading to Boston to watch the Boston Marathon will my best college friend. We haven’t seen each other in ages. I’m so excited about spending some time with her while cheering on all of the amazing runners. Carlos will be going to the Red Sox game with my sister while I’m at the marathon. Lucky duck!! I’m a teensy bit jealous that my 5  year old with experience Fenway before I do. I will finally see the famed Green Monster in person when my husband and I go to Fenway for a game on his birthday later in the summer. I have seen the Red Sox play only once before and it was at Yankee Stadium. I do not recommend this if you are a Red Sox fan. It was brutal.

On Thursday we went hiking at a new location not far from home. The Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the Mass Audobon Society. It was so tranquil and beautiful. The park offers 5 miles of hiking trails, mostly flat and along the Connecticut River. They were running a special deal on Mass Audubon Memberships so I joined. I’m looking forward to exploring the area more and also visiting other Mass Audubon locations across the state. They even have these really cool “Nature Quests” you can print out from the website and follow along to find a hidden treasure. Carlos is going to love that! (OK who am I kidding I’m super psyched about the Nature Quests too. I’m also dying to go Geocaching!! When did I become such an outdoorsy girl?!)

Have a wonderful weekend!!

April First

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I stink at April Fool’s Day jokes and normally I spend the day praying I am not a victim of someone’s clever prank. Some people are so good at that kind of stuff. This was the first year that Carlos really understood the meaning of the day so it was full of 5 year old type April Fool’s jokes. Here’s one I’ve been hearing all week:

Carlos: “Mom why do you have a spider on your head?”

Me: Ahhhhhhhhh get it out, get it out!!

Carlos: “April Fool’s”

Me: Haha you got me!

We put our heads together and tried to come up with a lively prank to play on my husband. This is all we came up with. We are pitiful, but determined to get better by next year.

I called my husband last night from work and told him that I wanted to register for the Philadelphia Marathon as soon as registration opened at midnight. I also asked him for the credit card information. Half asleep he gave me his blessing. After work I went to the gym and then finally home where I found Carlos downstairs alone. I reminded him of our plan and we gave each other a high five. Orlando came down a few minutes later with some laundry to bring to the basement. When he returned to the kitchen I excitedly reminded him that I registered for the Philly Marathon. He gave me a hug and said congratulations. I replied, “Congratulations to you too!” He was instantly confused so I explained, “I registered both of us so we can run it together.”

My husband backed up and started to question me, what?, why?, how? Then came the uncomfortable excuses, “I can’t run a marathon,” “I don’t like running that long,” “I only want to do 5K races.” I started encouraging him with comments like “It will be great. We can cross the finish line holding hands,” “You can totally do it. Look at your muscles.” Meanwhile Carlos was cheering for his Daddy “you can do it Dad” over and over. 

I was seriously ready to burst into laughter the more concerned my husband got. He was pacing around the living room and got more frustrated when I told him how much the registration cost for both of us. “I just don’t understand. I never said I wanted to run a marathon. I’ll run 5 miles, but not the whole thing. Can’t we get a refund?” Finally I lost it and blurted out April Fool’s!!! Carlos tried to keep it going, but the jig was up. Orlando looked so relieved once I told him it was all a joke and of course started nervously laughing hoping we were really kidding.

We were definitely kidding, but only about his participation in the marathon. The other part about me running it, well that was the truth!

Registration Confirmation for:

Dear Aimee,

Congratulations! You are now registered for Philadelphia Marathon Weekend. Please check the event’s official website for updates: http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/ 

 

MARATHON REGISTRATION

CONFIRMATION!

 
I have had the registration date on my calendar since I returned home from Disney. I wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to register for this particular marathon so I decided not to mention my intention until it was official. On November 18 I will participate in the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon. This will likely round out my race schedule for the year. 2012 started out with a marathon, my very first, and will end with another marathon like bookends holding between them the contents of what so far promises to be a very active, challenging and fun year. While I may not cross the finish line holding anybody’s hand, my son and my husband will be there to cheer me on as always!

 

Shelburne Half Training – Week One

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I am currently training for the Shelburne, VT half marathon on May 5, 2012. My husband and I love Vermont so any excuse to visit is perfectly fine with us. Even though the race is early on Saturday we are taking advantage of the opportunity to make it a full weekend getaway. The main reason I chose this half is because one of my dearest friends lives nearby and there is a very good chance that we will get together so I can finally meet her beautiful baby boy. He was born in February and I am dying to squeeze his adorable little cheeks in person.

Here is week one in half marathon training.

Date

Scheduled Workout

Actual Workout
Sunday, 3/18/12

 

 Ice Skating No Workout
Monday, 3/19/12

 

 5 Mile Run 5 Mile Run
Tuesday,  3/20/12

 

 Rest Day Rest Day
Wednesday, 3/21/12 Speed Training – 7 x 400 meters 7.0mph to 7.6mph each x 400 metersTotal miles run = 5.7

P90X Plyometrics DVD

 
Thursday, 3/22/12

 

 4 Mile Pace Run No Workout
Friday, 3/23/12 3 Mile Run 7 miles in 1:07:56
(I combined Thursday and Friday’s mileage.)

 
Saturday, 3/24/12 8 Mile Run

 

 8 Miles

Sunday was the day after the St. Patrick’s Day Road Race which meant it was also the St. Patrick’s Day parade. We arrived at the parade at 11am. It was a nice day for the parade, but after watching float after float go by we finally left at 3 and the parade seemed to have no end in sight. I was supposed to go to ice skating at 4pm, but by the time we got home I decided to skip my lesson in favor of grocery shopping and dinner with my guys.

My runs this week were awesome. The weather was incredible and I felt speedy all week. Wednesdays have become my speed training days. I always hate the thought of doing speed intervals but once I’m done I feel great. I do these workouts on the treadmill at the gym. The goal is to run a certain number of intervals for 400 meters or .25 miles. I set the treadmill time at 60 minutes. I generally do about a half mile warm up before beginning my speed intervals. This week my first interval was at 7.0 mph for 400 meters. When I reach the distance I slow down to a fast walk to recover and have a few sips of water. I then return to a jog for about 45 seconds before beginning my next speed interval. This week I increased my speed by .1 each time so my second interval was 7.1, my third was 7.2 and so on until I reached 7.6mph on my last interval. After completing all 7 intervals I run at a normal speed until my time is done. This week I threw in some short bursts of speed at 8mph for 20-30 seconds during my last mile or so.

My 7 mile run on Friday rocked my socks off. I flew around the reservoir like there was a wind pushing me from behind. I loved it. I definitely wasn’t expecting to have a great run on this day. I didn’t get to bed until almost 3am and was up by 6. Why you ask? Well I was at the midnight showing of the Hunger Games! It was a fun night with friends, not something I would normally do. I enjoyed the book and really liked the movie.

On Saturday I decided to do something I rarely do, I lounged in bed. By the time I got out of bed it was time to make the little guy breakfast and get him ready for his ice skating lesson. I missed the window of opportunity to get my run done early. As the day wore on I toyed with skipping the run. Oh the mental conversation I had with myself. We got home late in the afternoon and I ignored my own thoughts, got my Garmin, headphones and ran out the door. Eight miles later I returned to the house feeling really great that I completed my run.

I have come to the conclusion that I thrive on a training schedule. I love having my calendar full of planned runs and workouts. It doesn’t stress me out to have to move things around or alter the schedule here and there. It does stress me out to have no schedule or plan. Since my first half marathon in October 2010 I have been consistently training for a race. Training for races keeps me focused and provides the structure I need to stick with a regular fitness routine.