Training and Temptation

Yesterday, I did some interval training. The track was open and empty. Intervals on the track would do two things for me, 1) ensure even intervals (sprint the straight-away, walk the curve...no slacking!) and 2) the rubber track would give my knees a break from pavement. So I proceeded...

Hurdles. Set up in lanes 4 & 5 for 400m hurdles. Set up in lanes 6-8 for 100m hurdles. It has been 17 years since I've competitively hurdled, or stepped over any hurdle for that matter. Oh, but the temptation was so great, I so wanted to run them. Just one, even. My body could feel the stretched extension of the lead leg,
the tight tuck of the follow leg,
the quick downward spike of the lead leg as it cleared the hurdle,
then the stretch of the follow leg...stretching for the next step.
Yes, this is what my body could feel, but my head, my head was another story.

My head said "don't do it!
Don't be ridiculous.
Don't blow out a knee for a small moment of flight.
What are you thinking?
That leg won't pop like it used, that knee won't follow as high as it should...you'll end up on the ground."

So, I listened to my head. But my body continued to protest as I passed every single hurdle. I think for now I'll avoid running on the track until the hurdles are put away.

No More Boboli

As it turns out, our Spring Break's never align. Coe takes spring break early, because we have a May Term, meaning we end our Spring Term during the first week of May, then have a three-and-a-half week short term (usually reserved for travel abroad courses). Summit, on the other hand, follows the CR Public Calendar, and since their school year doesn't end until mid-June, spring break is later.

So, while trying to balance work, Jamey and I must also balance Willa. This year Jamey and Willa road tripped to Colome, SD to visit Jamey's family for a few days. Before they left, however, we had plenty of fun in Cedar Rapids. First, Willa attended an art camp at "The Shop Next Door" - she loved it! Watch their site - Heather says an art class for "mother's day creations" is in the works and will be scheduled for May 1.

My favorite activity with Willa, though, was a flat bread making class we attended at Prairie Woods. To be honest, I almost skipped it. We'd been out at Wikiup Hill with the Bickels, hiking all afternoon. It had been cool and windy and we hiked quite a ways. We got home at 5pm, and the class started at 6, plus it was a three hour class (all standing) and Willa usually goes to bed by 8pm. But she was so excited for it, and insisted she wasn't tired. And, I thought it would be fun...turns out I was right!

Our instructor teaches at the Kirkwood Culinary Arts Program and also did breads for Blends in downtown Cedar Rapids (before it closed). She was incredible! And best, she was great with Willa and Reddin, the eight-year-old attending with his mom. We made two foccocias, two types of pizza crusts, and five or six varieties of crackers. All were delicious! I even sampled the crackers with sauerkraut, and while I will never ever make these myself, I'll admit that there weren't awful (can't quite say 'good').

Now, I'm convinced I need a big mixer. I'm sure my breads could be just as good as Jean's if only I had the big mixer. In the meantime, though, I'll keep trying and keep experimenting. And no more packaged Boboli crusts at our house!

Let the training begin

This blog originally started out as a place to ruminate on my training efforts, so I'm going back to those roots.

According to Eric Harr, in "Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week" the first step is tell everybody you're doing it. So, I'm doing it. I've signed up for the Pigman Sprint Triathlon. This will be my fourth. I skipped last year, feeling much too insecure about my body after Cam's birth in late January. This year, there was no excuse.

The Pigman is one of the earliest outdoor triathlons in the region and it's a qualifier for bigger competitions, so it usually fills quickly. It is, in fact, already filled for this season. Luckily, I sent in my $60 registration about a month ago, and secured myself a space.

Now, the hard part. I've been running inside and have started a weight lifting routine (using the suggested lift-stretch routine outlined in Harr's book), but have yet to get in the pool for laps. I got near the pool once a few weeks ago, does that count? I actually got my suit on, got my goggles out, and walked into the natatorium. I sat on the deck trying to find a lane. The pool was busy; a class plus quite a few swimmers. There was only one lane with less than two people in it and I knew the single lane swimmer would find my slow laborious laps a real pain. So I walked back out and went to the fitness center instead. Now it's spring break on campus, so there is NO ONE in the pool and I've convinced myself that I will get it in tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow I will swim laps, pretending it's the splashy, cold water of Pleasant Lake.

Signs of Spring

Today when I woke up it was ZERO degrees; which seems about as far away from spring as you can get. However, I am starting to see the signs. Perhaps it's because I'm just so tired of everything winter (snow, colds, boots, hats, ice, chapped lips, etc.) that I'm quite open to seeing anything different.

Here's what I've observed that gives me hope for a change of season:

• three students in the past week wearing flip flops on campus
• two bikers (self-powered) on the way to school the past two days
• swim suits and shorts in the stores, winter stuff on deep clearance
• absolutely NO snow mittens to replace a lost pair for Willa
• distance track runners out on the street rather than on the indoor track

I know, not much, but I'm clinging and hoping.

365 Days of Cam

I'll repeat the mantra of every parent (or anyone, really, enjoying life): 'I can't believe how fast it's gone!' Tomorrow we will celebrate 365 days of Cam. 365 days ago tonight, I was sitting on this very same green couch, but much less comfortable. More than ready to meet this new little combination of Jamey + Lisa.

I try not to make broad comparisons between Cam and Willa, but often it's just so blatant that I have to acknowledge. Cam seems so violent with his toys - beating them together or throwing them on the ground. Willa clopped toys together, but it seemed more in the spirit of making music than destruction. On the other hand, at this age, Willa went until she crashed, while Cam finds moments of calmness. I turned around last night from cleaning up dinner dishes, and he'd drug a blanket into the dining room and was just laying there quietly resting. Frequently he walks up to me, and just rests his head on me - anywhere, as long as we're touching.

Living in this house is like constantly being in the middle of some type of psychology experiment. I'm looking for the two-way mirrors or discrete video cameras. I am waiting for the psychologist to come out and explain that Cam's behavior is normal for a one-year-old male, that Willa is going through a phase clinically labeled the "seven-year bipolaritis syndrome' and she will soon grow out of radically shifting moods and easily bruised feelings. The professional will also tell us that we are model parents and he/she would like to feature us in a book about his/her research. Yes, that's what my fantasy's are now featuring!

On day 354 I will dream about my babbling, wobbling, beautiful boy. Tomorrow we will put a chunk of sugary cake on his high chair tray. He will either smash it into his face, savoring, finally what has been withheld. Or he will simply throw it, just like everything else.

Having Our Cake

Things don't always turn out like I plan. Actually, things rarely turn out just as I plan them, but almost always things seem to turn out OK or better.

Cam and Willa both have January birthdays. Considering we live in the midwest, I should count it lucky that this is the first time we've had weather-related issues surrounding a birthday.

Our original plans involved meeting up with Gramma and Grampa, Uncle Steve and Aunt Kelly and the boys, at a water park near Minneapolis for a weekend. We'd celebrate three birthdays: Mom, Willa and Cam are all within seven days.

Instead, Mother Nature intervened. SD had warnings for freezing rain and ice. We had rain, rain, rain. Despite my disappointment, I couldn't blame them for not wanting to drive in those conditions.

I think I was more disappointed than Willa. She was awesome. Cam didn't seem to mind one way or another. We went to "Plan B" & met some friends at a new local aquatic center, went out for pizza, then back to their house for cake. I'd ordered this cake from Jules Bakery last week, and was so looking forward to her delicious cake. Even though I knew we'd be eating it all week, I couldn't bring myself to cancel the order. It continues to be DELICIOUS!

Of course the birthday celebrations continue...Willa has a party with school friends at a local gymnastics center on Saturday. And we'll have to let Cam smash cake into his face on Thursday. Mmmmm....more cake.

Old Things

My parents got a new crock pot. It has three different sizes of removable heating bowls. I admit to a small touch of crock pot envy.

The crock pot the stews our chili and soups is circa somewhere 1993. At some point during the first autumn in Skylight Apartments #3, my roommates and I determined we must have a crock pot (I bet it was Robyn). We went to the local WalMart and probably paid about $10 for this one. I don't know how I lucked out, but it stayed with me.

I realize I have several other things that fit into the category of the crock pot. It's old and outdated, and there are newer & better models...but it's still functional...so it's still getting used in my house.

I have a sweatshirt that I know I got on a trip to North Carolina just after my former roommate Ali moved out there after college graduation. I got it at an outlet mall (my first outlet experience!). I wear it to bed now. The ribbing on the sleeves is almost completely worn off, but it's still a very functional sleeping sweatshirt. I am not sentimental about clothes. This really is a great sleeping garment.

Plates: hosting a half-dozen friends for Thanksgiving made me realize the mish-mash of plates we have dates back post Jamey. Several of the plates were purchased upon moving into Southland Lane apartments during my senior year of college; and two or three were from a shopping trip with my mom a few years after. You can bet Shirley dumped those old dishes WAY before I will! Many times I've thought we need a regular set of dishes...but I just haven't gotten around to picking some out and replacing the very-functional dishes in the cupboard.

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that Jamey and I never got around to replacing ALL of the college furniture. Our bedroom still boasts two dressers that have followed me since my college days. One of them is a cast off from an aunt; I refinished it and am quite proud of the work that went it to restoring this old treasure. The other has been painted at least 4 different colors over the years and probably needs to find a home with another college student looking for bedroom creativity.

I'm not sure if it's a mental block or some practical thread weaving its way into my life regarding these old relics. I think I'm going to make it my post-holiday task, though, to finally get a big-girl set of dishes. The rest of the stuff can keep on functioning for a few more years.