Friday, June 29, 2012

It's been awhile!

In the blogosphere, I'm sure that is a understatement. If you don't write a new blog post in a couple of days, your readers will go elsewhere. I've seen it happen; I've done it myself; it's just what happens. If I look back over the last few weeks - really the last month and all the changes from the move, to vacation, to illness, to Nate beginning his new job today, I realize that it has truly been a whirlwind. Because of that, my marathon training went out the window. It's not good. It's not right. But, it is what it is. I can't go back, I can't change it. All I can do is move on and do all I can do today to help prepare. I got back on Myfitnesspal.com and am tracking my food and my exercise.

Last night I watched the Olympic swimming trials. Bob Costas interviewed Ryan Lochte and discussed how much he improved since the 2008 Olympics. They have been talking about this every night - how Ryan came back from 2008 and has been training relentlessly for four years. They mentioned how he has been incredibly focused. So, I was very curious as to what Ryan would say in the interview. Bob asked him what were the most important things he did to prepare. I assumed Ryan would say things like, "I increased my swimming" or something similar. Instead, he said, "I watched what I ate. I cut out fast food." It really surprised me. I think of athletes being able to eat whatever they want and whenever they want because they work it all off during their training. He also mentioned that he increased his level of strength training. What I noticed is that nothing he mentioned had to do with swimming. He knows how to swim. He knows what to do there. He needed to improve and focus on other areas to make his swimming even better.

So, if it's good enough for Ryan Lochte, it's good enough for me. I'm excited that next week we will be joining the Yale gym, where I'll be able to do the strength training with the weights and will also be able to add swimming to my "non-running" days. I have three months people and EVERY day counts!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Back on Track

To say I'm "back on track" may be a bit of hyperbole. I still am not running - I can't do too much before a huge coughing fit overcomes me - so I'm sticking with walking for the moment. Nate and I took a walk yesterday around the area. I really wish I had taken my camera, and do plan to take it today as we repeat the performance. We actually live fairly close to Joe Lieberman (or what used to be Joe's house). We aren't exactly sure if he still lives there or not. I'll have to post a picture of it later. It's pretty castle-like. We ended up walking seven miles yesterday. The scheduled walk was 4.2 miles and then after dinner, a desire for gelato overtook us and we walked 1.25 miles to the gelato place we had seen in our previous walk only to find that the lit open sign should actually be interpreted as totally closed down. So, without any gelato to refresh us, we walked the 1.25 miles back home to get in the car, drive to our local Stop n' Shop (our grocery store) and buy gelato. That's a strong hankerin' if I may say so!

The unpacking is going very well. I believe (as I take a look around) there is only one bin left to unpack. We also have the pictures to hang. We are planning to have it all finished this week so that we can enjoy some relaxation time before Nate starts work.



Sunday, June 10, 2012

Letter from the running shoes.

Hey you!  Yeah, you! The one signed up to run the Chicago Marathon on October 7th.  Do you plan to ever get moving on this thing called training?  It is June 10th, you know. You have FOUR months. That's right, FOUR!  To say you need to get crackalackin' is an understatement. Yeah, you've had some good excuses - moving and being sick - however, you need to quit your whining and get moving. We've got a race to prepare for and you need to start eating right and moving tons more! I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning. I'm ready to go - just need to get laced on your feet is all.  I'll sit here and wait for as long as it takes but know that you're not doing yourself any favors by ignoring me. You'll thank me for this, I promise.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Sick AND Moving

Ah yes, notice that I didn't say, "sick OF moving." Although, that comment would be true as well. It hit me like a ton of bricks around 4:00 yesterday afternoon. It started with the aches - almost like I have a stiff neck - and then the sore throat. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was all I could do to get inside and sit on the couch and stick my bottom lip out as far as it would go and beg for Nate to take care of every need that I had..... poor guy..... he just didn't know what he signed up for when it comes to the care and attention I need demand when sick.

I told him I was in need of medicine, and requested Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine. He went down to the front desk and came back with Alka Seltzer and Tylenol Cold non-drowsy. I turned both of them down and told him not to worry about it, which really means, "prove your complete devotion to me by going out in the pouring rain, finding the nearest pharmacy to meet my needs and do so immediately......please." He went on to other things for a period of time and then, very wisely, as he has learned over the years, said he was going out to get the medicine I wanted but he wanted to know exactly what I needed.

I really am not a fan of being sick in a hotel room. All I want to do is rest, but I can't. I really need to be on the couch right now being lulled to sleep  by the theme song from Gilligan's Island as TVLand comforts me. I need to know I can go and make myself some hot tea and not need to get dressed to go down to the lobby. I need to know that I can stay in bed and not worry that housekeeping will come in while I'm in bed - and no, I don't want to put up the Do Not Disturb sign, because I do want the room fumigated of this bug.

I think of when I was sick as a child. I'd go get my mother who would put me back to bed and then "tickle" my back (which, according to us, is defined as very light scratching). So, I woke up Nate at 1:30 this morning and asked him to please scratch my back. He very nicely did for all of 3 seconds before he rolled back over and fell asleep. So, here I am: 43 years old, wanting to quietly go into my parents' room, poke my mom's shoulder ever so lightly (she has unfairly described this as Chinese Torture) until she wakes and stick out my bottom lip and have her lead me back to bed, tuck me in, and tickle my back until I fall asleep.

Since I can't do that, I'll update all of you on what is going on with the moving!  Our home in Michigan has closed and we are scheduled to close on our new Connecticut house on Wednesday. The movers arrive Thursday, so things are looking good!

Now, I'm going to go crawl back into bed.