Fall is in the Air

I love Fall!

Many may assume that Spring should be my favorite season after a long, cold winter in MN but I actually enjoy fall much more. To me, it's beautiful when the leaves change colors and there is a hint of crisp, cool air. I remember going hunting with my dad in the woods. I remember playing in the leaves (even the evil raking chore wasn't so terrible if you got to hop in a pile of leaves). It was also time for back to school and new clothes. Not to mention, a new start to the ice skating season.

In Florida, Fall is hard to find. The leaves don't change and it seems like we went from beachy, 4th of July decorations to Christmas. Very little attention is paid to Thanksgiving. Days like today are the closest we get. It's a sunny day, 60 degrees, with a slight breeze. If I were to play hooky, it would be on a day like today.

I have the urge to do yard work and some cleaning. I feel like it's my last chance to purge the house before the holiday season kicks into full swing. I may have to take my lunch hour outside today.

Run, Rain, Route

I am bored with running. I need a new challenge or something to motivate me. I woke up this morning and made a deal with myself; if it is raining when I get home (from dropping the kids off at school) I can skip my run. I got home, secretly wished for a downpour and checked the weather. Nothing really indicating a torrential downpour was looming so I headed out.

Once out, it was misting and I thought that wasn't too bad. It was almost refreshing BUT if it became a downpour, within the first mile, I could call it quits when I made my first loop by home. About 1/4 mile in, it downpoured for about a 1/4 mile distance then stopped. So of course my head was thinking, you are already wet. If it's downpouring near home, you can stop but if it's just a light rain, keep going. You are already wet.

The rain and thoughts of quitting early had me running a pretty quick pace (9:49 average for my first mile). When I got to the 1.5 mark and would have normally headed near home, I decided upon a route change. I had a general idea of where I was going and the approximate distance but these FL roads are fricken twisty, cul-de-sac laced, and far from any normal grid pattern. I went down a route that I thought would take me one major road over and bring me back to the road that runs by my house. I eventually did do that but in my head, the route was more straight forward. I had a slight moment of panic that I was going the wrong way. I knew I could always walk home if I got lost but wasn't sure how long that would take me. Luckily, I ended up exactly where I thought I would at about the 2.25 mile mark. 

I had hoped that new extra loop would bring greater distance because to round it out meant I had to take that extra block with the terrible fake sidewalk. They basically black topped over tree roots and it's on a severe slope for drainage. I am not only afraid of tripping but I can "feel" the burn when I run on that. It's like trail running (or what I would imagine trail running is like).

Around the 2.25 or 2.5 mile mark I was wishing for another downpour to cool me off. I think that's the worst part of running. I get so hot I feel like my head is going to explode. My legs get tired and sometimes I labor for good breathing but generally, the combusting head is what leads me to want to quit running.

I guess the next challenge will be to increase my mileage a little. I am running a 5K in about a month. I know I can do the distance because I have been doing it consistently for more than a month straight now. I have even gotten my time down to 33 minutes (sometimes a titch under, sometimes a titch over). I have a fear that on race day, there will be unnecessary bobbing and weaving that add to my distance that will kill me.

On top of that, I wonder what I will want to do after the race. That goal will have been met and frankly, I can't see myself running 3 days a week, every week for the rest of my life. Maybe my next goal would be a longer race or distance to challenge myself. The only problem with that is that it requires more time which I don't want to invest. Hmmm...

Return to Normal

After 10 days without Ryan, we have now returned to normal. The boys were so excited to have him home. Neither one could get enough daddy time yesterday.

I don't know who was more excited for Ryan to shave his beard, me or him. It was gone before 9am. Miller didn't really care and Mason watched but wasn't really interested in the transformation either.

In running news, we had some cooler weather this morning. It was about 71 instead of 81 when I headed out this morning. It was a nice change but I didn't run any faster. I still sweat like a cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer day but at least I didn't feel like I was going to burst into flames. No complaints here.

Survival

Ryan's off enjoying his annual duck hunting trip. So far, I have survived a couple school days and the weekend with the kids. Luckily, work has been slow so my evenings have not needed me to hop back online. What a relief. I guess that is what normal people experience after they leave the office for the day. I could get used to that feeling.

Mornings have been fine. I didn't anticipate too much drama in that department. Pickup from school has been uneventful too. The kids have been pretty good and not been too terrible while I try to cook; they must know I need as little distraction as possible when trying to whip up a delicious meal such as mac and cheese.

The school night drill is always a blur. Feed them, clean them up or bathe them, get one in bed, entertain the other, somewhere in there clean up the mess from supper, and then get the second one down. Then do all the things you couldn't do while they were awake before you sit down and realize it's time for bed.

The weekend...well, overall I think I did pretty well. I kept busy with the kids. Lots of trips to stores and things going on. The only downside is neither kid slept well since Ryan left. They both have been waking up at weird times. Mason of course is rashy and doesn't feel well so that meant 4am wake ups that resulted in very little sleep from that point on (and he skipped his nap on Saturday). I admit I was short with them a few times but I think we had a pretty good weekend. Jess and the kids came over for some wild play time on Saturday and we met them at the park to run off more steam on Sunday.

Everyone misses Dad. Mason waves goodbye each morning like Ryan is there. We spoke to him yesterday and Mason lit up at the sound of his voice. It was so sweet. I know Ryan won't be able to shake either kid off his hip once he's home. "Mom's a nice change but there are some things she just doesn't do the same," as Miller reminds me daily. Gotta love the kid for his honesty. LOL!

As for running; I didn't get a chance to run Friday when it was nice and cool. I had a dentist appointment. I figure a day of shopping and running errands and then chasing Mason for the entire weekend counted for something. Today I was disappointed to see the temp and humidity back up but I rocked a new personal best. 5K in 32:16! I may actually be able to run close to a 30 minute 5K in November. I know it's a lofty goal but if I can shave that last mile down to 10 minutes like I have with the other 2, I am going to be super pleased with myself.

Allowance

We have encouraged Miller to help us with tasks around the house since he was little. He always is happy to help and so far, doesn't realize some of these tasks are forming good habits and are chores. After a few unbearable trips to Target that resulted in endless pleas and tears for toys not purchased, we decided the ol' sticker chart wasn't good enough. It was time to add an allowance to the picture.

So, although I had grand ideas of putting up a really cool chart, marking off tasks, and providing an allowance it's a little more generic. If he makes it through the week at school without major meltdowns or timeouts, that works in favor of us giving him his allowance. At home, he helps clear his dishes from the table, picks up his room, helps pick up Mason's toys, watches Mason for us for a little bit when our hands are tied, and helps Ryan pick up dog poop. Oh, he also helps me with laundry.

He can earn anywhere from $1-3. Yes, $3 is a major accomplishment but most of the time he averages $2. He finally saved up enough money that while we were at my parents, he got to go shopping with his money. This was his first allowance purchase. It was an Iron Man action figure with a cool plane (I would call it a vehicle but I know I would be corrected immediately).

The purchase process was painstaking (you can get these TWO things or this ONE thing, you don't have to spend ALL of your money, I think that's a GREAT choice). He played with the toy for about 2 days and now it sits with all of the other super heroes to be revived in a couple weeks as though it's a new toy again.

Judge me if you like but this has made our trips to Target (or anywhere for that matter) much easier. There are less requests for items and certainly less meltdowns. Now the conversation is "When I save up my allowance, I want this." He also will ask to help with things around the house to up his chances of getting that cash to put in his wallet.

Couch to 5K Spokesperson?

I think I should receive a cut as a Couch to 5k spokesperson. Not only have I actually proven the program works, but I think I have influenced a couple people to give it a shot. I have supposedly motivated a friend and now my doctor!

I am not sure this is a compliment or a "Holy cow, if she (overweight, out of shape Erin) can do it, I know I certainly can!" I know that both people I have talked to couldn't believe how well it worked and how easy it was to fit into an already busy schedule.

I haven't lost much weight (only a couple pounds) but I have seen a shift in my shape/tone and I feel a lot better-which was the main goal. In addition, I have been through a rather stressful few months of work that normally would have resulted in me losing my mind but it seems to have helped manage that overwhelmed feeling.

I have to admit, I am bored and right now, my main goal is reducing the time it takes me to run the 5K distance. I would also like to up my mileage to 4 or 5 miles and call it a day. The problem I am running into is that will require more of my time and honestly, 3 days a week of running is about all I can handle and actually stick to. Upping the days means more chances for excuses and reasons to not do it.

If anyone knows of any good programs for changing your diet or adding in some extra fun exercises, let me know. I would like to keep slowly improving my health but I am not ready to give up fattening food and drinking.

Sweetfield Farm

I was going to post the Sunday update from last weekend but then our internet took a turn for the worst. Here are some pictures from the farm. It's starting to be a tradition. The kids loved it. The only problem, it was 90+ degrees out and let me remind you, when in a corn maze, there is NO breeze.

Getting the kids to both smile on the pumpkins, impossible. The animals were cute. Mason loved them. We saw chickens, pot belly pigs (who raced), goats, and a cow named Rosie. A potato gun was shot, rubber duckies raced in the hand pump water trough, Miller and I did a maze, he played in a tree house, etc. We left with two large pumpkins and two baby pumpkins. We were a little early for the fresh veggies but tried some fresh apple cider. Good time had by all. Oh, and Miller was our leader through the corn maze. It took us about half an hour. Glad we made it out alive. :)

Fastest Mile

Our modem died on Tuesday so needless to say, our evenings have been a little off without internet. I haven't had a chance at work to review ways to lower a 5K time so this morning, as part of my procrastination I thought I would spend a few minutes seeing what my next steps should be. Bad idea. There was a lot of math and distances that aren't easy for me to calculate on the fly. Plus most plans encouraged the use of a treadmill.

On that note, I decided the general idea was to start increasing your pace for shorter bursts (more interval training). Rather than actually run the full distance today (I wasn't feeling it, not even with guilt or once I started) I decided to try for a 10 minute mile. I succeeded! At that point, I thought I might recover and go for a second mile at that pace but my MP3 player that has been dropped and stepped on several times slid out of my shorts (the clasp is long gone) and I stepped on it again. At that point, I was over it. I picked it up and walked home.

Now I have this guilty sensation I should have done more but screw it. I need to buy a new MP3 player before I do anything else. I have limped this baby along long enough. Time for a reward or a shiny new gadget to keep me motivated. I believe this wrapped up week 13 of running 3 times a week (the only exception was the week I had to take a couple days off for my knee).

Weekend Fun

We loaded up the truck and headed to my parent's house for the weekend. I feel like I limited my packing and we still had a full truck bed and cab! Traveling with Mason is so much work compared to what we need for Miller these days. I can't wait until we are out of the pack n play, diapers, sippy cups, bibs, etc.

The drive was long and frustrating when Mason fussed/cried for an hour at a time but we eventually made it there and back. It's the in between stuff that's fun to report on.

Saturday we went to Busch Gardens. Since we have been to the park several times, we decided to go to the things we like. The problem with that method is there is no short cut between the different areas so there is a lot of walking. Miller was not into the animals this time; it was all about the rides.

Miller  rode the flume, airplanes, motorcycles (which up until now, he refused to ride because they didn't have helmets...), Sand Storm, gliders, the Grover roller coaster, some other small rides in Sesame Street (he's now too tall for the swings!) and ran in the tree top portion all by himself. He also took Mason on the flying elephants. I wasn't there for it but my mom said he held one arm around Mason the whole time. He had a blast and was super good.

Mason went on the motorcycles, the carousel, the flying elephants, and I think something else but not sure. He had a blast people watching and looking at the animals. He was also a super trooper. He didn't fuss and stayed up way past his normal nap time. Both kids ate like champs which is also good when you are paying through the nose for overpriced food.

After a long hard day, Mason napped in the car ride back. Miller decided to tell Grandpa about the entire day while Grandma took a cat nap. That evening, Miller made everyone quesadillas for supper. After Mason went down, we watched the Avengers. Sunday was the pumpkin patch/farm trip. I will post about that tomorrow.