18 Miles...

Now I understand how I was able to run eight miles with no problems when I was younger. Aside from the obvious that I'm older now. It was the bike trail behind my parents house. Running on the flat dirt path was easier on the body. Plus no worries about where vehicles are in relationship to your body.

Today I ventured onto the bike path in my quaint little City of Muskego. What a difference the flatness and small cushion the dirt gives versus the road. I want to thank the rain gods for just the right amount of rain last night to make the path slightly softer for my well abused legs today. With the extra cushion, I managed to pull off 18 miles this morning averaging about 10 minutes per mile-a collective whole of 3 hours. With a bunch of uncertainty after running the said 18 miles, I'm sure I won't be able to hold that pace for the remainder 8.2 miles that I will have to complete in a month. Who knows, maybe I'll have it in me. That last mile was a killer. In about two weeks, I will test out 22 or 24 miles and see where I end up.  

On a different note, my intention prior to this run was to buy one of those belts that holds water bottles. Of course, I forgot to buy them when I was at the store last (way too focused on the necessary things of life). In my attempt to prepare for my run with the necessary resource to survive, I needed to come up with something to carry a water bottle. I dove into my closet and pulled out an old shirt I used for biking while training for my past triathlons. It has a pocket on the back of the shirt so I put a cold water bottle in it. Magically, it numbed my lower back for the first half of my run. In turn, I didn't have any aches in my lower back (insert image of me patting my own back). I just saved thirty dollars.

Speaking about aches, the rest of my lower half didn't hold up as well. The stuff in my old running shoes was gone so I've been slowly breaking in a new pair, but I hadn't taken them on a long distance run yet. Today was the day. It's kind of alarming when your feet are numb when you start running. New running shoes always make my feet tingly and numb until they've been sufficiently broken in. Well, I managed to break them in by mile five. Though by mile fourteen, they went numb again from the blisters and the abusive pounding. My calves were so tight and spasm periodically. Thankfully, my knees and hips were good during this run. Then again, my pain from my feet and calves could be misleading the pain from my knees and hips.

Through this journey of preparing for a marathon, I have to wonder how do all those people who do multiple marathons manage it. This one is just painful enough I'm almost certain I won't be doing another one. Though it is one more thing I can cross off my bucket list. Beyond the bucket list, there is a method to my madness. If I can do a marathon, I can climb Mt. Whitney (the tallest mountain, 22 miles round trip, in the lower 48).

Now it will take me the rest of the day to recover. Off to take my recover nap. Enjoy your Sunday!         

Funny Stage

Our little Freckles is becoming one strange puppy. While walking her the other day, I didn't actually notice she picked up a small piece of trash. Most animals would be chewing on that piece of trash. Nope not this dog. She stops in the middle of the walk and starts digging a hole in the snow and then drops the piece of trash in her shallow hole. This would be the time I actually noticed the piece of trash came from her mouth. I was a little shocked and laughed at her attempt to clean up the neighborhood.

Basically, the puppy picks up everything with her mouth like a crawling baby testing her grabbing skills (not a stage I ever want to go back to). Another quirky issue, she loves evergreen trees along with gnawing on all sticks.

                                                           Can you find the puppy?

                           There she is in the fire pit where we put our tree from Christmas.

Enjoy the cuteness!

Clothes Shopping vs. Food

Apparently, I've been slacking as the main source to provide my children with the mall experience. When they were younger, I used to take them to the mall during cold days because it was something to do and there was a small indoor playground and train ride. No problem for when they were toddlers, but as they grew out of this, I stopped taking them. It never occurred to me that this was an important social bridge into the tween demographic. Frankly, I hate shopping and most of all I hate crowds of people. Hence why I don't go to the mall. For shopping, my strategy has evolved into searching for items online with my kids, they choose what they want. Either I order online or go to the store, pick up, and leave. A very simple process. Going in and out of stores at the mall looking for items is a complete waste of time at least in my mind.

This weekend. Child #3 had a birthday party near the mall so I mentioned to the other two, we would drop Child#3 off and go to the mall to hang out until the party was over. Child #1 and #2 were excited about this. I didn't think anything unusual about this excitement until Child #1 said, "I want to go to Sears." That wasn't exactly my first choice of stores to go to. Evidently, some kids have mentioned that they've bought clothes at Sears or have gone there recently. The last time I went to Sears was three years ago when I bought a vacuum cleaner. Like I said, I don't go to the mall that much. I have to say they have a lot of spring dresses out right now. Child #1 and #2 are in that stage of not wearing dresses unless they have to.

After Sears, we ventured out into the actual mall and checked out a few stores like Old Navy and Justice. I have to say Old Navy was actually a good stop. They had a sale going on. Of course, spent too much money, but Child #1 and #2 were getting bored so we headed to the food court for some cinnamon rolls at Cinnabon.  

Out of the whole experience, Child #1 and #2 liked the food the best. Goal accomplished. They didn't actually like the shopping part. Works for me.

Have a great Day!

Life Changes

Stubborn
Unyielding
Headstrong
Obdurate
Dogged

So our household has expanded again. I may have to change this blog to Life with 3 children and a dog. Maybe I could teach the dog to blog. Oh that's right Disney has already covered that one. Make sure you really feel that sarcasm, twist it in deep.

I know you were thinking all of those stubborn synonyms were directed toward the new puppy we've adopted. Ah cont rare. I tricked you. Those synonyms are all directed to my lovely Child #2. I give her kudos (are they still selling the Kudos granola bar in the store? Apparently they have a website.) for being who she is and never, I mean never changing what she stands for.

Anyway, I've been talking to the kids about how our schedule is going to change. Yep, I'm going back to work. I'm in the process of interviewing with a few companies. In preparing my three lovely children, last night I explained that they may have to go to before care at school or I will have to work out some arrangement with Grandpa H to watch them before getting on the school bus. All of them claim they could be responsible enough to get themselves on the bus. I listened to all their arguments. Child #2 protested the most. Apparently, some kids were telling her how horrible the before and after care was at school.

It's possible Child #2 has gotten some of her shiftiness from me, but I still blame the handyman on her personality. This morning I decide to test them. I purposely don't say anything about the time. Normally, I announce how many minutes they have or what time it is (usually I count about five or six references about the time in a morning, not to mention how many times I say get dress, brush your teeth, comb your hair, eat breakfast).  Though they were playing very nicely together and not fighting, I still didn't mention the time. Low and behold, it was 8:51am and the bus stopped and drove away as they all ask, "Was that our bus?"

Inside I'm snickering to myself, but I'm calmly sitting at the table waiting for the freak out session. Well, Child #2 beats her sisters to it.

"How are we going to get to school?"

"Moms, going to make us walk now."

Imagine all of these phrases being screamed in a high pitched voice. Or even in a full out tantrum session. Ironically, Child #1 and Child #3 stayed calm.

"What are we going to do?"

I finally chime in, "I will be taking you to school." Of course, I couldn't help myself. "I just tested your guys and you've failed. Before and after school care will be necessary when I go back to work."

That didn't go over so well with Child #2. Since I was taking my time gathering all my stuff to get into the car, Child #2 wasn't having any of it. She continued to yell irrational things at the world and stomped out the door and yells something about walking to school.

Shaking my head, I start up the car. I let it warm up (it's still only 20 degrees out). Child #1 started to get worried about Child #2 and said so. I look down the street. She had made it fairly far. I was impressed. Laughing I say to Child #1 and #3, I'm going to drive by and not stop. Let's see what she does." Child #1 is against this. Child #3 laughs. 

Of course, I do this. As soon as she realized I wasn't going to stop, she started running after us (I was looking in the rear view mirror). I pull over, she stops running, and takes her grand old time to reach us. Instead of hopping in the car, she walks with a stubborn stomp right past the car. I bust out laughing so this time I drive by her waving out the window with a big smile across my face. Again she starts running after the car. I eventually pull over. I could hear her yelling at us. Again she stops running and takes her time. Child #3 asks should I open the door for her. I told her to go ahead and do that.

Child #2 is about to go around the open door and I state, "If you pass the car, I will not stop again. I will let school know you refused to get in the car and that you are walking to school."  

Child #2 gets into the car. Her disgruntle face is amazing. I wish I could've taken a picture. I am still laughing about this. There has to be a better word than stubborn for this child. Let's not think about the teenage years. It's not going to be funny then.

American vs American

Spain was fun and beautiful. A little metropolitan and culture mixed in with a beach vacation. Though, it takes going out of the country to realize how rude your fellow Americans can be. 

At a quaint little beach side restaurant in Torresmolinos, Spain called Chiringuito "La Macarena." Service and food were excellent, a little pricey, but you'll find higher prices at the beach vs in town or off the boardwalk.  We enjoyed grilled Sea Bass and a T-Bone Steak lamb style.

Anyway half way into our meal. We discovered two older ladies speaking English near us. Understand, we were in Spain during the off season so there wasn't that many tourist hanging around so we thought it was great that we found other USAers. We asked where they were from and they told us. One from California and the other from Washington. Then they asked where we were from. This was where it all went down hill. We mention we were from Wisconsin. I kid you not, the lady from California said, "Wisconsin. No ones from Wisconsin." Then turns back to her dinner companion ignoring us. Add a big snobby undertone to that comment and you just lit the flame under my chair. Lucky for this lady, I only had half a bottle of wine at this point. So I put on my best fake grin and said, "Oh I can vouch that there are people living there, but I grew up just out side of San Diego in a small community called Poway." The recognition and shock was all over her face. I'm pretty sure she did a flinch or double take kind of like when you don't believe what you saw and you quickly look again. Slowly, she says, "Huh, that is close to where my daughter lives. Her and her family live in Encinitas." Then I turned and ignored them to finish off the rest of the bottle of wine and got out of there. 

We had better experiences with our neighbors to the north than our own country men. We met several Canadians (French and English) that were great people. Though we did meet a nice couple from New Jersey in Madrid. They were fun and polite. Apparently, the few stuck up USAers ruined it for the rest of us.