Y3W: Best Jog Ever

This is week 3 of my new jog/walk program and it has had super lows and tremendous highs! This week I started the 1.5 mile route that I mapped using sparkpeople.com (love this website!). The route has me continuing straight instead of my usual left turn back to home. That little left turn, to me, has become the make it or break it point of my new route. Every day, it messes with my head saying "turn left now and you'll be safe at home!"

On Tuesday, I didn't get to run until about 7pm and it was super dark. I thought "it's too dark down that road, just turn left and go home, you don't know what you're getting yourself into!" As rational as this sounded, I continued going straight into the unknown. And? I made it through, in the dark, I didn't get lost, I saw some really cute houses that I had no idea existed in my neighborhood, and I completed 1.5 miles in 24 minutes!

On Wednesday, I was ready, I was pumped... I was weak and I ate a handful of potato chips before venturing out! My feet and legs felt like lead, I couldn't get into a groove with my breathing, and my posture was all off. I came to the left turn where I could turn and go home, or keep going... "you just ran yesterday, you could go home and still have gotten a decent workout," I thought to myself. Somehow, I forced myself to run across the road and continue on my path. It was rough, but I pushed through and made it home in 23 minutes!

On Thursday, I wasn't feeling it at all, I had just jogged two days in a row. My husband was running late (he keeps the kids entertained) and the sky was looking very ominous... tornados were springing up in the more rural parts. Somehow, I made myself get dressed, I find that if I put on my jogging clothes, then I have to go - it works for me! I started out with a brisk walk. "I'm definitely taking it easy tonight, I deserve it!" I think as I begin my journey. After a couple of minutes, I got bored so I started jogging. I tried to focus on my breathing and looking forward, not down. Pretty soon I was at the turn, "I feel great, I can't stop now!" I thought to myself and blew past the stop sign. I barely even heard the left turn calling to me! I jogged almost the entire last leg of my route!

 It's getting easier and I am getting faster! I walked for about 5 minutes for a cool down and came home and stretched. Pouring with sweat, I felt so great! I bragged to my husband about my triumph as he sat with both of our kids on his lap and I sat on the floor stretching out my tired muscles "Aren't you proud of me?" I exclaimed. He thought for a second "Yeah, I am, running is hard!" I was beaming! My husband was proud of me and I was proud of myself!

I was on a jogging high all night! Mentally, I felt as though I had just won an award. Physically, my body hurt like I had just completed a marathon, but it was a good hurt, it was a hurt you could only get from pushing yourself to the limit, it was a hurt that 3 advil and 8 glasses of water seemed to cure!

So, that was it, my Best Jog Ever!

Sleep Training: Night 1

One of the more unpleasant duties of parenthood is definitely sleep training. Right up there with cleaning up bodily functions and discipline! I hate it when they cry and you feel like an awful person! Alex and I don't call it "crying it out," we call it "figuring it out!" Sometimes there is crying and you just have to shut the door and let them "figure it out." I leave all of this up to my motherly instinct, and knowing what my child needs.

 Audrey used to be a wonderful sleeper, she would go to bed around 9:30pm and wouldn't wake till 5, 5:30, or even 6am some days...it was great! Sure, we had our growth spurts and gas issues, but for the most part - AWESOME! But then, something changed... somehow... I'm not sure what happened...  right around 5 months old... something had been undone and I was left exhausted and confused!

So, last night was the night... I was at my wits end! This baby needs to learn how to get to sleep on her own!! We did our bed time ritual, except I did the bottle before the bath and then after Audrey was all squeaky clean and dressed for bed, I placed my tired little Toad, that's her nickname, into her crib awake and tip toed out of the room and turned out the light. Guess what? She went to sleep! I was so proud of myself, I even bragged to my husband!

It didn't last long... around 9:30pm she was up and she was mad!! I settled her down with her pacifier and pats to her belly. I was proud of myself for not picking her up. Once she was settled with eyes closed,  I moved my hand to the rail of her crib, she stirred, back on the stomach. After a few seconds, I tried again...success! A few seconds later, I took a step away from the crib, it worked! I slowly made my way out of the room! And...

She slept until 5am!! Hallelujah!! When she stirred this morning at 5am, I felt different, dare I say it... rested! We had just completed night 1 of baby sleep training.... and we can't go back now!

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkin Patch Fun!

On Saturday, Our family and friends and everyone else in Richmond, VA went to the Pumpkin Patch! We came home with seven, yes seven pumpkins... can you say carving party?

Link up and leave a cooment!

Top Ten Tuesday - 10 Things I'm Working on Right Now!

1. My health, isn't everyone? I'm tracking my nutrition and fitness with sparkpeople.com and I'm tracking my steps with a pedometer and I've been jog/walking for about 3 weeks 3x a week and am up to jogging for .75 mile without stopping!

2. Time Management. I could really use say... 32 hours in a day, but that is just not realistic so I'm learning how to better manage my time now that I have two kiddos and a full time job and lots of laundry.

3. Finance management - daycare x 2 = more than my mortgage - my husband and I are trying to figure it all out right now!

4. How to say no.... without feeling guilty....

5. My resume! I've had my Master's Degree since last December and I am still under employed. It is definitely tough out there so I have been working hard to update and network and job search.

6. Maintaining relationships. I apologize on a weekly basis for not returning text messages, calls, or emails to my friends and now I am working on catching up and maintaining all of the great relationships I've built over the years.

7. Having ME Time! I think anyone with children can relate, but even if I get to go to a grocery store by myself, I call it ME time and I may or may not gloat as I walk down the same aisle as a woman who is wrangling her kids.

8. Family Time!

9. Transitioning Audrey from breast milk to formula. She will be 6 months old and my supply isn't keeping up so let the transition begin and let my husband take over a feeding or two :)

10. Being a good person, doing good things, and sending out positive vibes into the universe.


I'm a work in progress!