Life is Good

It's not running... but I am following the exercizes from this website:

http://babyfit.sparkpeople.com/ask-the-experts-answers.asp?inID=27

I am working on exercize 1 and did it (slowly) for 10 minutes. I won't be moving onto exercize 2 anytime soon.

Went for a family walk.  (Not running, but speed walking).  It is so beautiful out.  I think even Noelle liked the fresh air.

Did my exercize #1 for about 5 minutes.  It's amazing sore your tummy muscles are after having a baby.  Just doing that small little exercize seems like a lot!

Did a 2 mile walk with my family.  It was cooler out tonight than it was last night. 

5 minutes of my tummy exercizes.

1.5 mile walk with the family! :o)

FYI:

Noelle has RSV.  I'm in the hospital with her.  We checked in on Thursday and are hoping that she starts to get better soon.

I still can't run...  I have 2.5 weeks until my doctor's appointment and hopefully the day I can start running again.  So...  Today I did yoga.  Let me tell you, it felt good to stretch.  I think sleeping on the love seat at the hospital for 4 night did a number on my back.

Noelle is getting better.  Melanie is having a rough week after missing her mama for the 5 days we were in the hospital.  We are taking it one day (and night) at a time.

Tot-tot... it looks like rain.  And  LOT of it. 

Today I did the yoga again.  It's really helping my back feel better!

Yoga... day 3.  I think I deserve a gold star.  Hmmm... I wonder if I have a gold star sticker in the sticker book I bought to assist me in potty training Melanie.  Is it bad that a sticker would make my day?  I guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree.

Yoga today (day 4)!  I have been doing an evening stress release yoga dvd, very relaxing.  Yesterday I added another yoga routine before the stress release (one with more movements).  I'm feeling it in my thighs today.  It feels good to feel that burning pain again.  I did both routines again. 

Yoga...  :o)

Can I add that I can fit (comfortably) into pants that button? That's worth TWO gold stars!

yoga yoga!

yoga cubed! :o)

And here's a picture of my girls.  I think Melanie is adjusting well.  I think she is really enjoying mommy and me time (since I'm not currently working).  She needs to get out of the house though.  I'm waiting for healthier people and better weather.  Hopefully soon.  We got a zoo pass for Christmas and I'd like to take them.

Yoga again! Yoo Hoo!

Walking miles, not running.  We went on a family walk to the park and back. :o)  And we played hard! :o)

Yoga squared.  I didn't realize how much I really enjoyed and almost "need" yoga until I missed it yesterday.  I think it helps me find a bit of peace in my crazy day.

Yoga!

Lazy Day.  I didn't do anything productive (fitness wise).  You might even say I was counter productive... I ate a big ice cream sunday.  Then went to bed early (okay, fell asleep on the couch at 8:30-ish while waiting for my husband to get home.)

Yoga... and running around the park with Melanie (she likes to be chased), and her friend Tate.

2 miles RUNNING!  (ok...  jogging... but I wasn't walking).  My average pace was 11:50 min/mile.  Kelli, April, and all my other running heros could have ran faster going backwards, but I have to start somewhere, right?  I feel human!

Not running...  walking.  We went on a family walk together.  I was definitely feeling aches and pains from my run the night before.  I also think some of my pain is from the yoga. :o)  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! 

I also went to the Glendale Chocolate Affair.  What a fun event.  Each of us got a single chocolate treat.  Everything was beautiful, smelt delicious, and tempting.  :o)  They were playing movies in the park, and they had authors there signing their novels.  I'll have to check it out again next year.

Yoga Yoga.

Tomorrow is my 6 week Post Pardom Doctor's appointment... then HOPEFULLY I'll have his blessing :o)

To Quote Melanie's Turtoise and Hare movie "Slow and Steady wins the race".  It was a very slow 2.29 miles, but I did it!  And... I didn't stop, or walk, or whimp out. 

The doctor gave me permission to do my thing now.  He also called me skinny.  :o)  Even though it's not a true statement, he won some SERIOUS points with this patient.

Yoga.  :o)

Check out the fun cookies Melanie and I made yesterday. :o)

average speed: 11:31/mile.  I felt good though. :o)  I'm pretty happy with myself. 

Today was yoga day.  :o)  Yoga is so wonderful.  Just thought I'd share.

Today was suppose to be a yoga day... but, about half way into my yoga exercize, Ms. Noelle decided she needed extra love and attention.  (She was very vocal about that need too).  So, after lunch, I put my girls into the new double stroller my husband bought me (which works for both "strolling" and jogging) and took them for a slow run.  Wow is that hard.  Pushing Melanie before was difficult, but pushing both of them...  what a work out. 

I did some yoga this morning and ran after Brandon got home and the girls went to bed.  Boy was there a lot of crazy drivers out.  I thought it would have been late enough to avoid the kaos.  I guess I was wrong.  :o|  O-well...  I made it!

Aren't the Olympics Inspirational? 

I took Melanie and Noelle to Falcon Field Airport and (pushing them in the jogging stroller) we saw the airplanes and Helicopters.  We ran up and down a few times so that Melanie could see the helicopter take off, then around the park adjacent to the airport.  After our run, I loaded them into the car and drove the route... letting Melanie see the same helicopter land.  She loved it.  Then we headed over to the bus barn at Adobe and Power and Melanie got to see all the School Buses!  I love my girls!

PS.  It was a hard workout. LOL

Brandon got home around lunch and said "want to go running".  I hurried to my room, threw on my jogging clothing... and hit the road.  It was a slow 3.28 miles, but I did it.  I'm feeling really good now.  I am confident that I can pull off a 5K in 2 weeks now.  :o)  Maybe not fast, but complete.  :o)

P.S.  I didn't push the kiddos today.  It was nice.

yoga! :o)

Walking at the zoo...  pushing that darn double stroller up and down the hills was... fun.  I love the zoo.

3 miles at the zoo.  It wasn't running, but walking...  up and down again.  Still a lot of fun.  My mom got me a zoo pass for Christmas, and this week si the first week I have been able to use it.  I'm loving having a zoo pass.  And I love that I can take a guest with me.  Fun!  For your viewing plessure, some Smithson Monkeys (they actually let me out of the park with these monkeys too, can you believe it?)

Then, this afternoon, I did 3.34 miles, running.  And I was *aWeSoMe*.  Okay, maybe I just felt awesome, but that's all that matters!  I saw some highschool gal riding on a motorized scooter wearing a thick, fur lined coat.  It's 70 degrees out...  hmm...  Did I miss something?

I walked with the girls to Walgreens, picked up some pictures, and then walked home.  I was going to run after dinner tonight, but life got crazy.  I'm planning on going tomorrow morning though. :o)

It was beautiful today.  It's suppose to rain, so there was cloud coverage and a nice breeze.  I loved it! 

3.5 miles, pushing my girls.  The first 2.5 miles felt easy... but it turns out the last 1 mile was uphill...  which is very tricky pushing a jogging stroller.  I'm pretty proud of myself though.

Later in the day, I did yard work.  I think it counts for something too.

I did some serious yard work.  My abs are screaming now.  I didn't realize I was working them as much as I must have been.  I knew I was working my thighs and back, so that pain doesn't surprise me.   

I did yard work this morning and ran when Brandon got home.  It felt good.  I am doing a 5K on Sat.  My goal is to finish. :o)  I'm excited!

I did it! :o) 

My 13 year old niece wanted to run with me, so I sent her the information and she registered.  She wanted to race me.  I kept telling her that I just had a baby and would be really slow... but she insisted.  (silly girl...)  Well, she creamed me (no surprised).  Her dad (my brother in law) decided today that he wanted to participate as well.  He did a great job.  Here is a before picture of us:

Here is Melanie running after the racers:

Melanie crosses the finish (1st one too!):

Hannah finished in 25 min, 54 seconds (placing 2nd in her age divison)

Elliot finished in 27 min, 4 seconds

I finished in 28 min, 54 seconds (placing 4th in my age divison) We had a blast! 

It poured today, but let up to let me run.  Sweet!

3.63 miles in 33 min 43 sec.  Not too bad.  :o)  I am starting to get in my groove again. I'm not ready to up my mileage, but that too will come... 

I was planning on going the last two nights, but wasn't able to because of church and family obligations...  It felt good to get out today

Yoga.  We blessed Noelle yesterday.  Isn't she the sweetest thing ever?

trail run today.  It was beautiful, but a little toasty

I baked a bunch of yummy cookies today, and planted my garden.  This weekend is going to be crazy (a Baby Shower and a Baptism that I have to give a talk at tomorrow, and then Sharing time on Sunday) Then I start work on Monday.  *sigh* is it just me, or is time going by too fast?

3.34 miles pushing both my children.  I ran past a few of my primary kiddos.  It was fun to see them get all excited to see me outside of church.  It made me feel special.  Those kids are great.

Let me say it... and I know it sounds like complaining... but pushing that double stroller and my two wonderful but not weightless children up and down the hills of Red Mountain park is NOT easy.  Holy Cow... that was a work out!

it was a good 5.54 miles... but about 2 miles in, the battery on my IPOD gave out. darn!  I have to remember to recharge it.

okay, I'm feeling like a whimp.  I don't know if I'm just getting tired, if it's that it was hotter, pushing the girls, something, but I just wasn't feeling it yesterday.  That was a grooling 2 miles.  *sigh*   I do have a race coming up this Saturday though, and I'm excited about it.  Maybe I'll get my groove back.

No spooky men... no big dogs... just me, the dirt trail, and the windin my hair. :o)

So, this morning I was *suppose* to be participating in the Cave Creek Trail Run.  I was so excited about the race, really looking forward to it.  But... we got lost and didn't make it there in time.  I was really upset, more upset that I got my whole family up early and hauled them around for over 2.5 hours for nothing.  So, to cheer me up, Brandon let me do a make up race.  Brandon even volunteered to take pictures and time me.  He is so sweet!

So Instead of a trail run in Cave Creek, I did a trail run in Mesa.  And the competition was hard, as you can see in this picture:

I was going to run the 2-mile loop twice, but I heard Melanie crying and yelled ahead that I was coming in for a finish.

I was extremely happy and a little shocked with my time.  Brandon says I was moving pretty fast though, so I'll take it.  Perhaps pushing a stroller while running is helping me out.

Anyhow, that's my race report.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Took the girls around the Red Mountain park a few times.  Then we stopped to feed the ducks.  There was a mommy duck and baby ducks.  I'm so happy I took them to feed the ducks.

Took the girls around Red Mountain park again.  Then to feed the ducks.  We didn't see the baby ducks today.  We did feed a girl duck and a boy duck, but to be completely honest, the ducks were not really into eating the bread we were throwing them.  Melanie was getting frustrated.  It was still memorable though.

Took the girls for a run through the neighborhood.  It's the first time I've taken them through the neighborhood since I was approached by some men while running with them 2 weeks ago.  I didn't see them today, thankgoodness.  They really scared me.  Melanie was silly, I was running and all the sudden I notice she has her feet up by her head.  She had decided to put them propped on the bar in from of her.  She is too funny.  Noelle (who sits backwards looking at me) was giving me big smiles.  I love that!

Happy Saturday

Man was there a head wind!  :o)  Makes for a more interesting exercise.  I pushed my girlies through the neighborhood.  Went home, took a shower, then we watched the Night at the Museum, 2.  It was cute, but Melanie didn't like it as much as the first.  I think it's because the Dino wasn't in the movie as much as the first.  She did like the scene in the Airplane and Space museum. 

Ran with my girls today... and Ms. Melanie sang to me the entire time.  I don't know really what she was singing, but it involved Daddy, Mommy, and Nemo.

No Stroller.  Just me... the pavement... and the blistering sun! 

Dear Ladie in the Green Blazer,

Thank you for choosing to slow down after turning left in the "No Left on Red" zone to avoid hitting me.  I guess we didn't make eye contact when I thought we did.  Perhaps you were wanting to see my sprint.  How did it look from your close up view?

Sincerely,

Camille

Me and my girls.

the weather has been really funny this week.  Tuesday it was 90 and too hot to take my girls running.  Wednesday it was 67 and too wet and cold to take them.  Yesterday was crazy, but today was prefect!

So... I was feeling a little sore today, in my thighs and my back.  I know it's from my long run yesterday.  But, somehow, when I started running, I felt fine and I honestly feel like today's run was the best run I've had since I came back.  It just felt relaxed and comfortable. 

My mom and I took Ms. Melanie to the zoo today.  We had a lot of fun.  Today was just beautiful all the way around. :o)

It was a beautiful day, but a little warmer.  I decided to wait until my girls were asleep and my husband was home before I went on my run.  It was nice. 

I went visiting teaching today and took my girls (With the sisters permission because I wouldn't be able to get someone to watch them.)  The sister has a 13 year old son and a pet turtle.  She told her son to show Melanie the turtle.  Melanie and Elijah went out back.  When we were done, I had to go out to get her (she didn't want to leave the turtle.).  When I went out there, I asked her to show me the turtle.  She did.  It just so happened that when she showed me the turtle, the turtle "tinkled".  Melanie says "Turtle Tinkled".  over and over. :o)  It was hilarious.  She was still telling me about it while taking the bath.

Pushing the girlies!.  Melanie was yelling "mommy run fast.... so fast!".  That made me smile. :o)

Last week didn't go the way I wanted (I didn't run a whole lot), so even though I had some time constrictions, I decided to start this week off right.  It might not have been a long run, but it was a run none the less... and pushing my girls.  Melanie was playing name that color or item the entire time, so that was good. 

Here's crossing fingers and waiting to hear about St. George this week.  (could Friday get here any slower?)

Last week was a bust.  I did run more than once, but fell, twisted my ankle, and just about got ran over...  So, I turned around and slowly jogged home.  I decided to give my ankle a the rest of the week off.  Today, I started thinking I would do a short run, but got into a pretty good groove and kept running.  My ankle doesn't hurt too much.  It didn't hurt while I was running, but while I was taking my shower, I could tell it was a little sore.  I'll just keep an eye on it.  My goal for the rest of May is to run 25 miles a week.  I think that's a reasonable goal.  Brandon graduates on Thursday :o)  I'm SO excited!

The weather has been B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.!  I know it won't last, so I'm enjoying it while I can!

It was HOT! that is all I'm going to say about that.

We celebrated Brandon's graduation last night. It was a fun party.

Had a good run.  It was nice.  Not too hot (granted, I went after the sun went down) and there was a nice breeze for most of the run.

great run!  It was nice out.

Random question: Can you pull a back muscle running?

I fell and got some serious road burn at mile 3.5 but some how was able to keep going.  :o)  I'm feeling it now though.

Went for a brisk walk with my girls.  We made a few deliveries on the way.  It was fun. 

Did yoga... and it felt great!  Why do I forget about yoga?  I do love it when I remember. 

yoga yoga! :o) Twisted my ankle putting Melanie to bed, long story, and decided not to run on it, which was good because Brandon got an emegency call that made him have to leave about 10 minutes after I typically start running. I think it was inspired.

double stroller... and it was HOT!

Will add a report later as I'm off to Show Low for a baptism.  I was 7th woman overall though, and I'm excited about that!  Didn't get to stay for awards.  :o(  But the baptism is definitely more important.

You can read my race report here: http://bncsmithson.blogspot.com/2010/05/steven-l-pearson-5k.html

Short run. I could feel all my muscles screaming. I almost got hit by some stupid truck that decided to make a left into an alley way.  I didn't see him until he was about a foot away from me.  I have never been so scared before.

treadmill and weights (arms)

treadmill and weights (arms)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

outside!!! no cars!!!

ran on the treadmill at the multigenerational center and then did weights (for my arms).  It was a nice run.  I did a hill workout.  Sometimes I wish a treadmill would simulate down hill.  Just a thought!

It might not seem like a lot of miles, but it's pushing a double stroller on a slopy sidewalk.  And yesterday it was on tha gravel.  You push a double stroller through large gravel while running and you'll have a new understanding of strength training. :o)

I'm training for a half this weekend and possibly a half next weekend.  There is also a possibility I'll be doing a full this winter.  And I have my running partber back! woo-hoo.

Pushing Melanie and Noelle...  I wasn't going to run, but Melanie begged me to take her.  Too cute.  She's a good slave driver.

good race.  I would have done a few things different, but I'm pretty happy with my final time.  I'm not going to type my entire race report online, so if you want to hear it, message me.

I could have and would have ran further, but I am a silly mommy and forgot to bring a blanket for Melanie... and she got COLD.  So, we headed back to the house.  It was really nice to spread my legs and run though.  I'm looking for the prefect first Marathon for me (since I didn't run the one in October).  I think I found one...  So it's time to start T.R.A.I.N.I.N.G.

Changed my mind.  I am going to run in the Shun the Sun, but the 10K.  Brandon doesn't have to work Saturday after all.  WooHoo!

Hey, if you have a chance, PLEASE vote for my adorable little bumble bee.  http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/id/18/w/45/y/2010?page=16

It's a photo contest for children 1 month to 8 years old.  When you click on it, you'll see she is just adorable.  She is currently in 16th place, but I know with a little FRB help, we can move her closer to first place.

Thanks!

Camille

Didn't run today... but I voted!  And you should too.

http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/id/18/w/45/y/2010?page=18

Thanks!

Man today was crazy.  First of all, I got to bed late last night because of a primary teacher appreciation dinner that I helped with.  It was fun, but I was so tired that I didn't hear my alarm clock go off the first three times.  I suppose I heard it, because it was I, and no one else, the hit "snooze".  When I finally got up, I was in PAIN!  Back pain that intensifies when I breathe.  I must have pulled a muscle?  I don't know.  But what I do know, it's not fun.  So, I finally get up, moving, family up, out the door (later than planned), and driving to the race when I realized that I double booked us.  ha ha!  I have a race that starts at 7am and also a fruit/veggie co-op pickup that is at 7am.  oops!  What was I thinking?  probably wasn't.  So Brandon drops me off at the race and I run to the packet pick up, get my stuff, number on, chip on, and run over to the starting line, just in time for the race to start. 

Then it's off to the races.  I had originally told myself I wanted to beat 52 minutes because that's my last 10K time.  I thought, sure, why not!?  Who cares that I just ran in a half marathon THIS WEEK?  Hmmm...  Let's just say I have humbled myself, or maybe my pulled muscle has humbled me. 

Though I did not make my goal, I did; however, accumulate at least 3 roadkill (that I know of) and that makes me happy considering they were all men, and all eager to pass me at the begining.

So there you go.  I did it in 58 minutes some seconds, and I'm dang proud of that!  I worked my tail off for that time.  And even though it wasn't faster than my original goal, I am completely, entirely satified.

After my race on Saturday, I had the worst headache until Wednesday.  It was a "I can't move without feeling dizzy or like I was going to toss my cookies" headache.  It started Saturday night.  They gave me a morphine shot and THEN I started feeling better.  So...  Needless to say, I wasn't running those days.  I did 3 miles today pushing my stroller and I signed up for the turkey trot next week (it's in my nieghborhood, so I thought I ought to.)

Running with my daughters today was fun...  and interesting.  I think Melanie was stripping up there.  First she threw off her gloves, which I'm lucky to have found on my second time around the park.  Then it was her shoes.  Next was the socks.  That's where I cut her off.  If anything else went, we wouldn't run pass the ducks...  that was enough incientive (thank goodness).