This summer is flying by. It has been 100% kid friendly. One of the perks of working nights is that you have your days free. If you are slightly insane and a mild insomniac like myself then you soak up just about every minute you can of each day.

Here is just a glimpse into our summer so far.

Orlando at the Fireworks (is it me or does my husband have a really big hand? I just noticed that!!)

Fireworks: Taken with the new Canon Rebel EOS T1i

A little hiking

A lot of swimming

Sand play

Conquering the pool: Carlos makes it from the deep end to the shallow end

Carlos on the rocks

The Maine Coast

Watching the boats in Portsmouth, NH

My favorite place to run is a nearby reservoir. Although many people know about it, it remains a bit of a hidden secret. The full loop around the reservoir is roughly 3.5 miles, but depending on where you park it can be 4 miles from the car. The trail is wide and well maintained. There are beautiful birds to be spotted. There are even hiking trails off of the main trail that circles the reservoir. The grounds are well kept throughout the year. It is peaceful and scenic. Most days I see at least a dozen people out for runs, walks, bird watching, biking or dog walking.

Ducks on the trail

Reservoir Reflections

The grounds crew is always out and about during the day. I usually see them in the truck and I recognize their faces now. I always wave as they pass by. There is one in particular who gives me a big smile and a wave every time. Recently when I looped around 3 times he was mowing the lawn shaking his head and laughing as I passed him on my last loop.

Today that same gentleman, Andy, stopped to say hello as I was doing a cool down walk back to my car. He asked me how I got involved in running. We had such a nice conversation. He remarked how he sees so many runners, but he is impressed that every time he sees me I have a huge smile on my face. He mentioned that there is a running club that meets every Thursday night at the Elks Club where I now park since the infamous break in back in January. I might have to check that out.

I had a great speedy run. I was in sort of a rush to get home and get some things checked off my “to do” list, but instead I spent about 15 minutes chit chatting with this familiar face. As I walked to my car I was smiling even more. I am proud of my running story. I am happy to share it with anyone. I am grateful that anyone even cares to hear it. I also enjoy meeting new people. I learned from Andy how he and two other men are solely responsible for the upkeep of the reservoir and surrounding acreage. It is thousands of acres. He loves his job and jokes that he works in the largest garden in the city. They are doing an incredible job and I, for one, appreciate having such a beautiful place to run.

My little guy is attending day camp this week at a local YMCA. He is having an absolute blast. The camp counselors are so sweet, fun and patient. My goodness are they patient. They keep the children busy all day long with a new activity nearly every 30 minutes including swimming, arts and crafts, gymnastics, dancing, games and more. Carlos is absolutely wiped out by the time I pick him up at 3.

Everyone keeps asking me what I’m doing with my new found “freedom.” I’ve been plenty busy for sure. On Monday I ran 6 miles before running a bunch of mundane errands and picking up the house. On Tuesday I ran 8 miles, did more errands and then I went to the mall. I got my eyebrows waxed, bought some new eyeshadow at Bare Escentuals, and even treated myself to a few new things from Loft. Yesterday I received an email from Loft announcing a one day sale on scoop neck tees, 2 for $15. I couldn’t pass it up. I also picked up two pairs of crop pants. They are OK, better than jeans for this warm weather we’ve been having.

I hate pants! There I said it. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want to walk around naked from the waist down. I have always had a problem finding pants that fit properly and flatter my figure. They don’t exactly make pants for woman with pear shapes. Yup that’s right I’m all hips and butt! Try getting skinny jeans on my lower half…ain’t gonna happen. I have no sense of fashion. I just try to keep it simple and neutral colors. I used to beg friends and family to nominate me for the TLC show “What Not to Wear.”

Enough of that. I had to have a filling removed and replaced this morning. I specifically made the appointment for today since I knew that Carlos would be at camp and I wouldn’t need a sitter. My dentist is great. I was in and out in 23 minutes. Now I am relaxing on the sofa, alone, just me. I don’t think I’ve sat here since I was pregnant…just joking. Sort of.

Sure it’s been nice to have some time to get things done around the house and errands I’ve been neglecting. Everyone needs a little “me” time once in a while. This opportunity is wonderful for him to spend pure, quality playing time with old friends and new ones too. I miss the little guy though. Soon enough he will be in school full time for the next 13 years if you count kindergarten. This camp is only for one week in June and one week in August. We’ve got lots of local activities planned in between. It is shaping up to be a fun summer.

In my last post I talked about feeling a sense of freedom when I put away my scale and how I was recently reintroduced to the scale. I am working on my weight loss goals again. I still don’t have a clear cut plan, just trying to use the “tools” that have helped me to lose in the past and making small changes. I have decided to weigh in every two weeks for now so that I can gauge my success. I refuse to allow it to become a daily habit or a burden to my goals.

Fourth of July weekend is upon us. You know what that means – picnics, barbecues, fireworks, swimming and desserts! I’m currently on the hunt for a healthy, tasty Independence Day inspired dessert because we also celebrate my aunt’s birthday on that day.

Here are some fun facts about the Fourth of July:

• Massachusetts was the first state to declare the Fourth of July an official state holiday (Yeah Mass!)
• The vote for actual independence took place on July 2, 1776 but it was on July 4 that Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence
• Founding Fathers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, ironically the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Many moons ago before I became a nurse I graduated from college the first time with a degree in History. I have always loved learning about early American History. I often wonder what our Founding Fathers would think if they saw what this country has become today. I won’t wax political very often, if at all here on the blog, but I think we can all admit that this country has been at war for a long time. Operation Iraqi Freedom began on March 20, 2003. It is all too frequent that I hear of local men and women who have lost their lives serving this country in the Middle East. I fear for the family members of friends who are currently serving in the military and are stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. I pray for them to remain healthy and return safely. My sincerest thanks to the American troops everywhere.

Fly Freedom

On Saturday I ran the Lake Wyola 31st annual 4.8 mile road race around the lake. This is one of my favorite places to go during the summer. The lake is about 40 minutes from my house. The drive there is easy and generally there is no traffic. My friend and I go at least once a week with our four year olds. This year we are sharing a parking pass which allows us access to many of the state parks across Massachusetts. We pack a cooler with drinks and lunch, unload our chairs, bags, beach toys, etc. and we are in for a fun and relaxing day.

There is a perfectly sized sandy beach area equipped with at least two life guards. The swimming area is roped off so the kids no where they can swim. We plop our chairs by the shore and chit chat away while the kids have a blast swimming and digging in the sand. It is such a low maintenance day for us especially after working all night.

Carlos at Lake Wyola 2010

Carlos at Lake Wyola 2011

My little fish

Anyway last week when we were there I noticed a sign for the road race. At the very last minute and after a really wet Friday I decided to run it on Saturday morning, the morning of the race. My Mom came to watch Carlos because my husband was working. He was bummed because he loves it there too.

Carlos and my Mom headed to the beach while I went to register and wait for the race to begin. The registration was held in the lake’s association building which was adorable. There was no line so I walked right up with my form and money. The people were super friendly and welcoming. There were huge trays of watermelon, bananas and orange slices out for the runners and walkers to enjoy along with water and Gatorade.

I absolutely love people watching pre-race. As I’ve said before I have no pre-race rituals. I just kind of hang around waiting for the race to begin. I watched as the walkers took off at 9:30. One woman at the front of the pack started off at a slow jog and was disqualified!

The race began promptly at 10 am. We ran towards the beach area which was only about a quarter of a mile away if that. I was able to high five my son. Then we began a nearly 1.5 mile ascent up the road that leads back into town. The weather was perfect for running but seemed blazing hot going up the hills. I ran almost the whole incline, but walked a small portion at the end while drinking some water. After the uphill climb we took a left and were treated with a steady decline along a shady dirt road. There were a few more small hills towards the end but they were nothing compared to the beginning.

I was so excited to see my Mom and Carlos at the finish line. I crossed the finish at 46:35. The post race festivities included more fruit, water, Gatorade and lots of baked goods. We stayed to watch the winners get their prizes and for the raffle. I didn’t win a raffle prize but I did go home with a bag of bananas…great for banana soft serve or smoothies.

While they were announcing the winners Carlos very loudly asked when they were going to call my name! I’m sure that I turned red. After every race he asks if I won. I always explain that I did win because I finished. Someday he’ll understand exactly what I mean, but for now I’m just glad that he’s there to watch me doing something healthy and active.

This was a fantastic race. I hope to do it again next year. The race was well organized, family friendly and followed a beautiful course.

To close this post I thought I would share a photo of how most of our trips to Lake Wyola end.

One tired fish

I’m leaving in a few minutes to run a race around my favorite local lake. There is a 4.8 mile road race this morning at Lake Wyola in Shutesbury, MA. I just found out about it and thought it would be a fun way to get my run in today. This week was a horrible week for activity. We had a lot of rain and I didn’t have any babysitters lined up to watch Carlos.

I was playing this race by ear because of the rain. Right now it is gray, gloomy and damp outside, but no rain at the moment. My mom will be coming too so that she can watch Carlos while I run. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a dry race, but I’m so glad that I saved my old sneakers so my new ones won’t be a disaster.

Here’s my mom now. I’ll be back for a recap.

This past Sunday I ran my second half marathon…ME! I ran the Old Sandwich Road Half Marathon in Plymouth, MA. The day was absolutely perfect for running. It was sunny, high 60s to low 70s with a cool breeze.

I woke up bright and early around 6 a.m. thanks to my four year old alarm clock! I can’t resist that face though.

My alarm clock

Since the race wasn’t starting until 10 a.m. I had time to relax and snuggle with my little bug. I took my time getting ready. I ate my usual Joseph’s whole grain tortilla with a banana and peanut butter. I gathered all of my gear including the packet of Gu I found in my race bag. I had never tried Gu before but I didn’t have anything else for fuel so I thought I would try it. I got dressed, put my number on, tied my sneaks and off we went.

Orlando and Carlos dropped me off at South Plymouth High School where the shuttle buses were waiting to take us to the starting line. Here are the obligatory family pre-race photos.

Orlando and I before the race

Before the race with Carlos

Can I just say that Carlos takes much better photos than Orlando. I know, neither are stellar, but at least it preserves the memory.

The shuttle ride to the starting line took about 15 minutes. I was on the first bus so I had about an hour’s wait before the race began. The view from where we waited was beautiful, overlooking the ocean. I didn’t know anyone there so I just stood and took it all in. I am a pretty low key racer. I don’t run before a race and I had already done some basic stretching at the hotel. I love watching all of the pre-race rituals. Running is such an individual sport. There really is no wrong or right. I did eventually strike up a conversation with a few women and that helped to pass the time. One of them was wearing Vibrams and was doing her first long run in them. I spotted a few more along the course. Fun!

The start time was delayed by 10 minutes. By this time the sun had really perked up and we were beginning to feel the warmth. The start was a bit disorganized and chaotic. I simply started moving when everyone in front of me got going. There was no timing mat. We had to wear velcro ankle timing straps. This was new for me, but it wasn’t bothersome as I feared it might be.

We started out on Old Sandwich Road for which the race is named. It is the Oldest Road in America, having once served as a Wampanoag Indian foot trail. It later became a common stagecoach and mail delivery route between Sandwich, MA and Plymouth, MA.

Old Sandwich Road

There are seven historic sites along the dirt road. Unfortunately they are not highlighted along the route and although I had read about them prior to the race, I definitely missed most of them. Once the crowd thinned and I had some room to breath I just zoned out and enjoyed the tranquil scenery.

The Boy Scouts did a wonderful job of manning water stations along the way. They had water and Gatorade which was so appreciated.

I really felt good throughout the race. I knew that I was running a steady pace, but since I didn’t have my Garmin I wasn’t sure of my actual pace. There were no time clocks along the way so I had no idea how I was doing. When Old Sandwich Road ended at about the 6 mile mark the “rolling hills” began and continued until just about the end of the race. I took the Vanilla Gu around mile 7 and I wanted to gag. I did not enjoy that at all. I will stick to fruit chews or raisins. Yuck!!

I started losing steam around mile 11. There was quite an uphill climb about half way into mile 11 and I finally gave in and took a walking break. Once I saw the mile 12 marker I picked up the pace. The race ended in the high school football stadium. As soon as I saw the high school I instantly felt a surge of energy. The course had us run around the back of the school before we could see the stadium. Once inside the stadium we had to run 3/4 of the track before finally crossing the finish line.

I was ecstatic to finish in 2:16:51. My only goals in a race are to have fun, run strong and try to beat my last time by a second or more! I accomplished my goals and more. This was definitely a PR as my last half time was 2:21:49.

A few days after the race I got an email directing me to a race review website. I wrote a glowing blurb about what a great race it was. Not only do I hate to be negative I really didn’t have anything bad to say about the race. Then I read this review and my heart sunk:

“The course was short; only 12.7 not 13.1 and the lack of medals was really a huge disapppointment; especially since a finisher’s medal was advertised on the website.  If they needed to cut expenses, they should have done away with the cold hamburgers and hot dogs.  The race time should have been earlier; having your longest race go into the heat of the day isn’t great planning.  There was also a section of the course where runners were on both sides of the street and cars were coming in both directions; again, poor planning.  I wouldn’t run this one again.”

If the course wasn’t really 13.1 then I didn’t really PR. That would be a huge disappointment.  I didn’t wear my Garmin so I’m not sure. As for the medal, I have never received a medal for any race I’ve run, including the ING Hartford Half Marathon. Most people find this odd. I don’t really care. I don’t even keep my bibs. I’m not a saver. I know I ran the race and usually have a photo or two of me wearing the bib. I also have a race tab on the blog to keep track of my races and times.

I agree that the start time should have been earlier, 8am would have been perfect. Sharing the road with cars was a bit daunting as the runner lane was wide enough for barely 2 runners, but I understand that blocking traffic or closing roads can be challenging as well.

By the time I finished the race there was nothing being offered except water bottles. Since I was heading to lunch with my family I didn’t really care, but I did find it a bit odd since every race I have run has had some post race festivity.

Overall I enjoyed the race and I would recommend it to others who live nearby.  It was a great feeling to cross that finish line. I seriously get tears in my eyes when I realize that I have completed two half marathons. Really? Who am I?

I can’t believe that it’s already May. It’s off to a great start. Yesterday’s 5K was a lot of fun. The weather could not have been more perfect. In the end I went with my heart and just ran it for the enjoyment of running a race for a good cause with great friends. And you know what? I didn’t do so bad after all. My chip time was 29:14. Not too shabby after working all night!

Run Aimee Run!

Anyone who knows me knows how much I loathe looking at photos of myself much less sharing them with others. As a sort of unwritten New Year’s resolution I have been making more of an attempt to be photographed and also share those photos. I could pick on a million aspects of the above photo, but what I should see is a strong, beautiful woman who is doing something she never imagined herself doing.

I woke up this morning with absolutely no desire to run or go to the gym. I have been dying to try a yoga class and I knew that today was the day. There is a local studio that I’ve looked into before. A quick google and I pulled up their website. All the stars seemed to be aligned for my first official yoga class. There was a beginners class at 9:15 which fit perfectly into my morning since Carlos is in school from 7:50 to 11. Then I looked in my wallet and there was exactly $14 which is what a walk-in class costs. I never have cash on me so to have the exact amount seemed like fate to me.

Since I had about an hour to kill before class I went for a leisurely walk around the college. It was a beautiful spring morning. Here are some of the sights along the way.

Brown horse

Spotted horse

Daffodils and a dock

Sunlight over the water

I was nervous about yoga, but I was welcomed and put at ease immediately. The class was called Embodyoga which is described as “fluid and evolving system of discovery that incorporated much of the best of popular systems of yoga today with revolutionary investigation into inner workings and relationships of body and mind that has been developed through more than 30 years of insight and study by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and the School For Body-Mind Centering.”

It was a perfect first class. It was challenging, but moved at a pace that allowed me to understand the poses and movements. The instructor was kind, patient and knowledgeable. I will definitely be going back.

The break from running was delightful. Tomorrow I will begin half marathon training.

This morning I woke up to sunshine. It was a beautiful morning and I had a “first thing in the morning” run planned. It was still a bit chilly out when I left the house. I had no particular mileage in mind so I decided to go to the college nearby. There is a pretty pond with a one mile trail that loops around it.

Waterfall on a sunny spring morning

As usual my iPhone photo doesn’t do the view justice, but I tried. The sun was sparkling on the rushing waterfall creating a haze behind it.

I felt good from the start. The trail is marked along the way and when I peeked at the Garmin at the half way point I was running under a 10 minute mile. At my best last year when I was training for the half marathon I ran a 10 minute mile. My 5K PR is 28:53, average pace 9:18 (though I felt horrible and thought I ran a terrible race?!) in December 2010. So I know that it’s possible for me to run under a 10 minute mile for more than just a few minutes.

I had about an hour before I had to return home. I ended up completing 5 miles in 49:25. I was really happy with that. My breathing was great throughout the run. My legs felt really good. The weather couldn’t have been better. All the pieces seemed to come together to make for a perfect run.

I felt inspired by my morning run so I sat down tonight and finally completed part 1 of my 2011 race/training schedule. I registered for a 5K on May 1, 2011. I set up a training schedule that begins tomorrow and ends on the date of the 5K.

I have decided to revisit speed work as the focus for my training schedule. I already know that I can run the 3.1 miles. As I mentioned above my PR is 28:53. I honestly don’t know if I could replicate that right now. I ran throughout the winter, but I did not follow any kind of consistent schedule. My speed has definitely suffered a little as a result.

This is where I get ambivalent about racing. Do I have to PR every time? If I don’t will I beat myself up over it? I think at this point I would like to keep my 5K time under 30 minutes and if I PR great, if not there’s always next time.

Part 2 of my training schedule will likely be for the Shelburne Falls Bridge of Flowers 10K which I ran last year. It’s a fun race with a giant hill at mile 2. I like the 10K distance and I would really like to improve on my race time for that particular race. Last year I ran it in 1:07:36…I curse that hill!

Part 3 of the training schedule schedule will be the final phase of my year long training plan as I prepare for the Disney 2012 Marathon. I expect that I will run a half marathon in either September or October as part of the marathon training. I might throw in one or two more 5K races in the later part of the year just for fun.

When I read back what I had just written I thought to myself, “who am I writing about?” It’s strange that running has become such an important part of my life. I get goose bumps whenever I imagine myself lining up at the starting line getting ready to run a full marathon. Life is full of possibilities!

Speaking of marathons I am so excited for my cousin, Jenna, who is running the Paris Marathon tomorrow. Go Jenna!