Observations on life this week--running and family

I've been keeping up this blog since 2008, and for me it
serves as a sort of personal journal, and a family scrap book.

Since I'm not crafty, and I don't do the fancy scrap-booking thing,
Rich prints out this blog for me at the end of each year, as a
Christmas gift. Having the blog printed out and saved in a notebook
is such a good way for me, personally, to go back and reflect
on what we (as a family) have been up to during the past year.

Here are some of my thoughts and observations from this week.
I'm not feeling up to par today, and had to skip today's run
due to tummy issues and a few appointments and work.
I'll get back out there tomorrow to nail it!

Evan is off of school tomorrow, and he is going to ride his mt.
bike along side me while I run, to keep me company.
Then he and I are having a lunch date, just the 2 of us.

This Saturday is the first of my long (as in long long) training
runs for Umstead (CRAP, ONLY 65 DAYS FROM NOW!!!!!)

MY VARIOUS THOUGHTS TO MYSELF THIS WEEK..........

Hill repeats are much easier at 6 a.m., when it is dark and
you cannot see the summit of the hill each time.

Trails are much easier on the body, for a run,
than pavement. Pavement is hard and leaves you feeling
jarred and beat up.

Any run (or any workout) is much nicer with a friend.

It is easier to get out of bed in the morning for an early
workout, if you know you have a girlfriend meeting you
at a set time, set location.

Putting on my new "I LOVE DICK'S!" shirt (as in Dick's
Sporting Goods--get your mind out of the gutter) truly
makes me giggle each time I wear it.  Thank you my friend
Sheri for this hilarious Christmas present.  I think of you
(and dicks too!) each time I put the shirt on.  Ha ha ha ha.

Awesome tunes on the ipod really do make a long run
easier. They distract you from whatever else might be
going on.  And yes, I can unleash that INNER ROCK
STAR as I sing loudly to some awesome songs while
trotting my way down the trail.

Stress does disturb sleep, as do smallish children who would
like to be in your bed every night, rather than in their own
bed.

Mammograms would be much less painful if the front
edge of the machinery was soft, padded and rounded.
A man must have designed this uncomfortable machine.
The sharp front edge of this machine digs into your rib
cage, and hurts your rib cage like heck. A woman would
have designed this machine with softness and comfort in mind.

Girlfriends (true deep friends, not just surface stuff) are
invaluable. Acquaintances are great too. Both are awesome.
Just different.

I would be a wealthy person if I were to be paid for my kid
cooking, laundry and chauffeuring duties.

Real conversations are priceless. Those where you
can bear your raw emotions without fear of a negative
reaction or being judged by the listener.

I hate emotional conflict. Well, we've all known that about
me for a few decades now, right?  Kind of goes along with
being a Virgo, as well as being the middle child.

A supportive husband is a gift from God. I truly do not
know what I would do without Rich in my life each day.

Putting on my cute, new lululemon pink long sleeve logo shirt
makes me feel really happy. And when I feel happy, I run
better, stronger and faster. Thanks Ronda!  It is very motivating
to have some cute new workout clothes.

I am ready for summer to return.  Why do I live in Oregon?
I hate the rain and the grey. I'd give anything to be in 70 degree
sunshine right now.

Making last minute plans is good for me. Such activities make
me climb out of my daily routine and my comfort zone.

Running makes me feel like a strong powerful independent
female.  Irregardless of anything else going on, I am strong.
I may not be fast, but darn, I can run a LONG way.

I love my sport. I love Rich, Evan and Lauren.  Enough said.
A good way to wrap up this post.
Cheers!

Gung Hay Fat Choy - Happy Chinese Lunar Year!

January 23rd is the start of the Chinese Lunar New
Year celebration!  This is the year of the Dragon!
The dragon is a lucky, strong and powerful creature.
Monday night we went out for a wonderful celebratory
Chinese meal with our good friends, the Ilg family.
Lauren was all dressed up in her red Chinese
finery!  The meal was delicious and the company
was wonderful.

Lauren also took some books about the Chinese
New Year into her classroom, so that her teacher could
read them to the class.  We also mailed off Li-Shi (red
envelopes filled with money, for good luck) to her friends
and fellow adoptees Jordan and Isabella, both of whom live in
Ohio.

It should be a great year!

Lauren (look at all those missing teeth!) and
her big brother Evan.

Lauren, with her American Girl doll "Ivy" in
matching costumes

Christmas morning 2011

This post is a bit late, but we had a nice relaxing
Christmas morning opening presents at home
with the kiddos.  Lauren was very excited
to get some "xia xia pets" from Santa -- they are
cute little hermit crab toys that move around and
live in a little house.  They go crazy on the tile
floor in the kitchen!

And Big E was very excited to get pogies (hand
warmers) and a waterproof LOCR coat for
his upcoming spring rowing season.

Umstead Training - and exciting stuff for the New Year!!!

I am signed up for the Umstead 100 miler, held in North
Carolina, at the end of March.  How is it that it seems like
just yesterday, I sprinted to the fedex office to make sure
Ronda and I got our registration in, so we would be accepted
as 2 of the 50 mail in entries?  (The 150 online entries closed
out in less than 2 minutes, we obviously didn't get in that way,
I must have typed too slow).  Now, we are just a mere 82 days
out from the March 31st race day!!!  Oh, boy.

After resting during the month of November (I got way too beat
up at the Pumpkin Holler 100 miler in mid-October), December
was a month of rebuilding and base building for my running.  It
was nice to just run, and to get in a few more miles with each
weeks tally.

Now, I have started the specificity phase of training.  4 separate
3 week training cycles (build, peak, recover). Build and peak weeks
include specific hill and speed workouts.  Those 4 cycles are followed
by a 2 week taper, and then we are at race weekend.

So, after a very successful build week last week, I'm right now heavily
into my first peak week. Running is going great!!!  I've been running
lots of hills and the weekend morning long run is well on its way.
Tryon Creek, Forest Park, and even the Columbia River Gorge have
been on the training venue the past 3 weeks or so.  Loving it.
After a hard experience in October, I finally feel like I am getting
my running groove back in swing.

On top of the training cycles, I decided at the first of the year that
I was going to try to change up a few other things in my life.

Cut out the crap calories
No desserts, no simple sugar
Eat complex carbs, no simple carbs
Eat brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole oats, etc. instead
           of any white rice or white bread or white pasta
Eat a boat load of fresh vegetables and add in fresh fruit each day
Eat lean proteins several times a day
Eat smaller meal portions more frequently
Reduce alcohol intake
Cut out evening time nibbling
Cut out nibbling while I am cooking
Net a certain amount of calories each day (= total intake
            less total burned through exercise)
Lose about 10 pounds through all of this

Have you ever strapped on a 10 pound backpack and tried
to head out for a run?  Funny how hard it is to run with that
extra amount of weight.  So I have to ask myself, why am I
allowing myself to be a bit more of a chub right now than I
should be?  I should be maintaining more of a lean, mean,
race weight.  That would definitely help me run faster.

So here we are, 9 days into the year.  I'm down 2 pounds
and about an inch of circumference around the muffin top.
Probably all water weight?  Who knows.  I'll take it.

Have I been perfect about my goals in the last 9 days?  Nope.
But I have done well.  Each day is a new start.  Each day I'm
going to work harder at this, and slowly, it will happen.

January 23rd is the Chinese New Year - the start of the Year
of the Dragon.  I'm going to be "out with the old" and in with the
new, as CNY customs maintain.  It may take a while, but I am
enjoying the journey.

Cheers for a wonderful 2012!!!

Year End Christmas Projects!

Over the winter break Evan and I spent an afternoon
making 15 tie dye shirts! It was a fun project, but very
messy. We had a lot of fun picking colors and designs
for certain friends and family members. We were then able

to use some of the finished shirts for funny Christmas gifts.

Dave M., Reid M., Joe, Evan and Rich sporting
their finest colors!

The messy dye colors, all prepped and ready to go.

The shirts, pre-knotted with rubber bands

Our work area in the garage, soda ash solution
ready for pre-soaking the shirts

Once the dye is placed on the shirts, they have to cure for 24 hours.
Then the dye gets rinsed out in a hot water / cold water process.

The finished products, hanging to dry

My favorite design and colors!

Bright bullseye pattern