This one's for you Palmer. ;-)
We just returned from vacation part two, a cruise bookended by visits to Universal Studios and Walt Disney World. Have I mentioned how lucky Justin and I are to have two sets of wonderful parents to take us on such great trips??? And I am proud to say I already have finished all of our laundry and have about 90% of our stuff put away! Peace of mind/house orderliness about restored.
I have been thinking and thinking about the sticking point from the trip to write about and nothing in particular pops up- so you'll have to deal with some random musings instead, sorry!
The cruise we went on was a Disney Cruise, and I think I have realized that I will always be a Disney Kid at heart- cue the "Toys R Us" Theme Song. It is hard not to get wrapped up in the magic of Disney- yes yes I know they are really just out to get as much of our money as possible by convincing us that yes, we really do need a picture of us on every ride we went on at the park-- but they do it with such a warm smile on their face and in such a magical setting that it is hard to resist! Same goes for the cruise ship. The staff is all so genial and welcoming. I did not even break a sweat when one of the servers took Ainsley out of Justin's arms and held her while he went to the buffet! Each staff member called Ainsley "Princess", and we were so tickled when we took her to get her picture with Mickey and Minnie that they took her from our arms and held her on their lap to create one of the sweetest pictures I've ever seen. Once I get a copy from mom and dad's photo cd I will be sure to share. Perhaps I have outgrown some of the fantasy of it all, but now I get to reexperience the wonder of Disney all over again through Ainsley! It was so much fun walking through the parks with her, even though the highlight for her was the balloon we got her at the discount price of $10. :)
I love cruises because you can eat and drink all you want, and as it is all included in the cruise price, it feels like it is free. Sure I will take another mojito. The boat also offered a drink of the day each day, the most divine sweet concoctions of alcohol ever- although I had to abstain most of the time. This cruise experience was much different from when we went two years ago (when Justin and I got engaged). Last time we were in the bars every night, this time we were asleep by 10, but that is all right. Regardless, I still got to spend my fair share of time at Bingo- perhaps the world's greatest game ever invented! And although I failed to win, despite having the electronic game card which plays a whopping 24 (or was it 48?) cards at one time, it was still a good time.
I also safely survived our jetskiing outing. Last time Justin decided to be a whirling dervish on water, sending us careening what seemed like sideways and backwards over the waves- and eventually depositing us into the water. This time was much more subdued but equally fun. And after seeing a nurse shark swim by us while we were standing in knee deep water, I was all the more thankful that we managed to stay aboard the ski this time.
It was also great getting to spend time with my family--- have to say the trip was a success as there were no fights, no disagreements, and no threats of going home early (as was the case last year.) Who knew vacations could be volatile? I can honestly say I enjoyed every moment of the trip, even running the 5K on Disney's private island in the 90 degree heat coupled with 95% humidity. Talk about hot! Running through the Disney island was still so much fun, it took my mind off the misery of the situation. Perhaps this is why the Disney Marathon will always be my personal favorite....how can you be unhappy or suffer when you are at Disney World??? (yes this is a rhetorical question)
Disembarking the ship on Friday was a little sad- I was certainly tempted to stowaway in our closet. But the real world beckons, and so back to work I go, hi-ho, hi-ho.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Baptist Hematology
Quick backstory- for those of you who don't know, Ainsley and I both have spherocytosis (as do my two sisters and my dad). This is nothing too serious, just a blood disorder which can sometimes cause anemia and weakens your immune system. Worst case scenario: she may have to have her spleen removed later in life (which the four of us have had done without any issues).
Anyway, because of this, we have had to make two trips to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital to see a hematologist so that they can run a few tests on her and just keep an eye on her overall health. So far, knock on wood, she is a healthy baby girl.
However, being there each time makes me thank God for her health and appreciate her all the more. We have seen several young children in the hematology ward who appear to have some form of cancer, and it is heartbreaking. Yesterday a family with a young son came out of the office ahead of us and the mother was in tears. I can only imagine the dreadful news that had been given to them.
My heart goes out to any and all families who have sick loved ones, especially those where the loved one is a young child. I cannot imagine looking at your child and not knowing how much more time you have to spend with them, being unsure of what kind of future they can look forward to, or how much of a future.
Justin and I are reminded on these trips how extremely lucky we are so far for our healthy child, and pray that she may remain so. May we never take her health and happiness for granted, and remember in even the tougher moments that things could always be worse.
Anyway, because of this, we have had to make two trips to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital to see a hematologist so that they can run a few tests on her and just keep an eye on her overall health. So far, knock on wood, she is a healthy baby girl.
However, being there each time makes me thank God for her health and appreciate her all the more. We have seen several young children in the hematology ward who appear to have some form of cancer, and it is heartbreaking. Yesterday a family with a young son came out of the office ahead of us and the mother was in tears. I can only imagine the dreadful news that had been given to them.
My heart goes out to any and all families who have sick loved ones, especially those where the loved one is a young child. I cannot imagine looking at your child and not knowing how much more time you have to spend with them, being unsure of what kind of future they can look forward to, or how much of a future.
Justin and I are reminded on these trips how extremely lucky we are so far for our healthy child, and pray that she may remain so. May we never take her health and happiness for granted, and remember in even the tougher moments that things could always be worse.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Blocked Ambition
I read two things the other day in my current reading material of choice, "Runner's World" (online and in print) that really stuck with me. Well actually just about everything I read in there sticks with me- and leaves me ridiculously motivated for about a week to add something new to my running routine, until I realize how exhausting that something new is. Regardless, it got me thinking and what better place to share those thoughts than here......
1- One contributor was talking about his running goals and his wife told him to "stop stereotyping yourself as the slow guy"- for that she felt was what was holding him back. I don't know that that is necessarily holding me back, but it got me thinking about the need to believe in myself. Running is a mental game as much as a physical one. If you think you can't, you won't. I've seen that marathon wall- and it is big, mean, and ugly, but it is all entirely in your head, a runner's writer's block. If you can think/motivate/encourage your way around it, you'll be fine.
Which leads to the second point.........from the highlighted runner of the week talking about his long-term running goals, one of which is qualifying for Boston. He says:
2- "On paper, it looks like I'm a lot further away than my heart tells me I am." I have mentioned to several people that I would like to qualify for the Boston Marathon- if just once- even if it doesn't happen until I am in my fifties or sixties (when the qualifying time becomes a lot more attainable.) Let me rephrase that- the qualifying time for that age becomes what seems a lot more attainable to me at my current age- at that point it will probably seem as difficult as the requisite 3:40 I need to run at 27 seems now. One look at my current Marathon PR- 5:19, and you can see why that quote sticks with me so much, and why I feel like my making that statement to people who know me probably leads them to roll their eyes!
I guess the frustrating thing with running is that there can be so many buts, ands, ifs, and yets. My PR is from my first marathon; the second time I attempted 26.2 I had an injury prone and ice cream packed training period, and tried to cram 4 months of quality training into about a 6-week period on a frame carrying about 20 extra pounds- NOT RECOMMENDED!!! I walked a GOOD portion of that one. The third time, I had set myself up for success- trained with Team In Training, did every run, every distance, was healthy, and fit. Unfortunately, the Nashville weather gods were not in on the plan- greeting me on race day with 70+ temperatures at the start and moving quickly into the 80s- while we runners negotiated rolling hills on entirely unshaded streets! It was a lot of fun, but not my finest performance- yet a run I intentionally slowed knowing that if I didn't I would be joining those many runners being scooped up in ambulances I passed along the course. It also turned out I was in the early stages of pregnancy, so it looks like I made the wise choice for sure that day. (as I said so many ifs, ands, buts- I'm still making excuses for those races from the past few years!)
So now I take up the challenge again, a mom now, where my running time is more limited, which means that I have to make every run count, and not short myself. For so long I was content with my ten-minute mile pace, not pushing anymore than necessary, being happy to just finish. That is the best way to start with running, getting the job done. Now that I have 6 years of running off and on under my belt, and many races of varying distances behind me, it is time to push a bit more. I'm the little runner that could. I know that for me to do a 3:40 in a future marathon (and I am not talking my very next try at the distance- scheduled for this January) but sometime in the future- that I would have to run 8:23s the whole way! I know it will take a LOT of effort, pushing from step one of the race to the end, and that all the conditions would need to be JUST right, but a girl can dream right??
Okay, I have gotten a little off track. The two quotes I mentioned earlier hit home to me because as I am setting this ridiculously daunting goal for myself, there is that little voice inside my head that says you are insane, this can never happen. Time for me to stop thinking of myself as that slow runner. I have been consistently training between a 7:45 and 8:15 pace, albeit not for 20+ miles, but I know I have it in me to get there. It may take years to build up the endurance to keep it up for that long, but that is a step I am committing myself to take. And yes, on paper, it certainly looks like speeding up by an hour and 40 minutes is next to impossible, and perhaps it is, but deep down it just might be doable. I just need to think myself fast.
Step one- conquer the mind game. There is nothing I hate more than finishing a run, and thinking if I hadn't walked here, or if I had talked myself through it here, I could've done better. There are too many points in a run of any length when that little naysayer in me starts doubting my body and legs- yet everytime I manage to run through it, I amaze myself at how much I am able to do and how easily!
So I'm putting it out there- I will qualify for Boston, if just once in my life, even if it takes me ten, twenty more years. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.
1- One contributor was talking about his running goals and his wife told him to "stop stereotyping yourself as the slow guy"- for that she felt was what was holding him back. I don't know that that is necessarily holding me back, but it got me thinking about the need to believe in myself. Running is a mental game as much as a physical one. If you think you can't, you won't. I've seen that marathon wall- and it is big, mean, and ugly, but it is all entirely in your head, a runner's writer's block. If you can think/motivate/encourage your way around it, you'll be fine.
Which leads to the second point.........from the highlighted runner of the week talking about his long-term running goals, one of which is qualifying for Boston. He says:
2- "On paper, it looks like I'm a lot further away than my heart tells me I am." I have mentioned to several people that I would like to qualify for the Boston Marathon- if just once- even if it doesn't happen until I am in my fifties or sixties (when the qualifying time becomes a lot more attainable.) Let me rephrase that- the qualifying time for that age becomes what seems a lot more attainable to me at my current age- at that point it will probably seem as difficult as the requisite 3:40 I need to run at 27 seems now. One look at my current Marathon PR- 5:19, and you can see why that quote sticks with me so much, and why I feel like my making that statement to people who know me probably leads them to roll their eyes!
I guess the frustrating thing with running is that there can be so many buts, ands, ifs, and yets. My PR is from my first marathon; the second time I attempted 26.2 I had an injury prone and ice cream packed training period, and tried to cram 4 months of quality training into about a 6-week period on a frame carrying about 20 extra pounds- NOT RECOMMENDED!!! I walked a GOOD portion of that one. The third time, I had set myself up for success- trained with Team In Training, did every run, every distance, was healthy, and fit. Unfortunately, the Nashville weather gods were not in on the plan- greeting me on race day with 70+ temperatures at the start and moving quickly into the 80s- while we runners negotiated rolling hills on entirely unshaded streets! It was a lot of fun, but not my finest performance- yet a run I intentionally slowed knowing that if I didn't I would be joining those many runners being scooped up in ambulances I passed along the course. It also turned out I was in the early stages of pregnancy, so it looks like I made the wise choice for sure that day. (as I said so many ifs, ands, buts- I'm still making excuses for those races from the past few years!)
So now I take up the challenge again, a mom now, where my running time is more limited, which means that I have to make every run count, and not short myself. For so long I was content with my ten-minute mile pace, not pushing anymore than necessary, being happy to just finish. That is the best way to start with running, getting the job done. Now that I have 6 years of running off and on under my belt, and many races of varying distances behind me, it is time to push a bit more. I'm the little runner that could. I know that for me to do a 3:40 in a future marathon (and I am not talking my very next try at the distance- scheduled for this January) but sometime in the future- that I would have to run 8:23s the whole way! I know it will take a LOT of effort, pushing from step one of the race to the end, and that all the conditions would need to be JUST right, but a girl can dream right??
Okay, I have gotten a little off track. The two quotes I mentioned earlier hit home to me because as I am setting this ridiculously daunting goal for myself, there is that little voice inside my head that says you are insane, this can never happen. Time for me to stop thinking of myself as that slow runner. I have been consistently training between a 7:45 and 8:15 pace, albeit not for 20+ miles, but I know I have it in me to get there. It may take years to build up the endurance to keep it up for that long, but that is a step I am committing myself to take. And yes, on paper, it certainly looks like speeding up by an hour and 40 minutes is next to impossible, and perhaps it is, but deep down it just might be doable. I just need to think myself fast.
Step one- conquer the mind game. There is nothing I hate more than finishing a run, and thinking if I hadn't walked here, or if I had talked myself through it here, I could've done better. There are too many points in a run of any length when that little naysayer in me starts doubting my body and legs- yet everytime I manage to run through it, I amaze myself at how much I am able to do and how easily!
So I'm putting it out there- I will qualify for Boston, if just once in my life, even if it takes me ten, twenty more years. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.
Time Flies and other Beach Thoughts
Well our first beach trip is over. It was so fast, I can hardly believe it even happened, although one look at Justin's tomato red stomach reminds me that yes, it was real. After 28 years, you'd think he would figure out how to properly use sunscreen. :)
Amazing how the buildup and waiting for vacation feels like an eternity, and then once you get there it feels like it is over before it began. Regardless, we had a wonderful time at Holden Beach and I must admit my packing was successful- at least for Ainsley- next time I am taking a supply of loungewear and that is it!
While there, Ainsley continued to master the art of sitting up. Watching her, I just want to yell at Father Time to SLOW DOWN! She, on the other hand, cannot learn things fast enough! Having watched her 5 months older cousin all week, her mind seems filled with ideas and thoughts and new activities that she wants to accomplish. The instant we got home, and I laid her down on her back to play- something she normally is happy to do for a little while, she immediately flipped herself to her stomach, and then proceeded to let out the most pathetic cries of frustration as she tried (unsuccessfully as of now) to get her legs under her and crawl. While nursing now, she likes to sit up and face me, so that when she takes breaks she can look fully around the room. I feel like at this rate she will be speaking in full sentences and driving before the year is over!
Other than that, the beach was great. We spent quality time with the Hammocks and Murphys, filling our days with watching the little kiddies, continuously lathering and then unlathering the babies in suntan lotion, and binge eating. For some reason, my body deemed it necessary to have a snack about every fifteen minutes, it is a miracle I fit into my clothes to come home! I guess that was countered by some great runs on the beach- one of my favorite things to do. Although while a much more enjoyable locale to run in, the beach is also A LOT harder on your legs!
And let it be noted that with babies and the beach, you truly learn how sand manages to get absolutely everywhere- even when said baby does not leave the shaded 6x6 towel you have set up for her. Ainsley went from one bath every few days to twice daily!
So now we have a few days to heal Justin's skin, recover from our beach colds (whodathunk) and repack everything for round two.
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