27 February 2010

How could I say no?

When I first started in triathlon, everything was competing for time against my training; friends, family, the dog even got the boot on certain occasion where taking her with me on a run just was a hassle. Training won many of those battles. Perhaps it was because triathlon was new and exciting, the new "love" interest in my life. But I felt guilty for missing a session. I would end evenings with friends early because "I have a race tomorrow" or I wouldn't enjoy a drink because "I need to hydrate". It was another obsession, if you will, that I had. Something to throw myself into.

Last night when Tim and I went to bed, the plan was for him to leave by 7:30 this morning to go get his last long run in before next weekend's marathon, while I went to pick the kids up from a slumber party at my parent's house. When Tim got home, I was supposed to get my long run in then it was off to his parent's house for the afternoon. Then tonight would be an easy bike ride.

Well, one thing led to another and after Tim got home later than planned, I did my bike before we went to his parent's house. When we got home tonight, it was dinner and chores. I planned to hop on the treadmill for that 1.5 hour run after Ryan went to bed. I should have known better. As he does every night after prayer, "mommy, will you lay with me?" 7 out of 10 times I say yes, and the other 3 times, I call upon daddy to take a turn. But tonight daddy was out with the guys. So how could I say no to my first born baby? I couldn't, I didn't. "Sure sweetie, just for a minute."

A minute turned into just over an hour, as I found myself being woken up by the dogs grumbling about some random noise only they could hear outside. It just past 9pm and there was no way I was getting on that treadmill. Sorry coach, I chose my son over that long run. I don't feel bad at all about missing the run, because I know I'll just make it up on what should have been my day off. Actually, this is the first workout I've missed since the "ick" in January, and since I'll be making it up, it's not really a missed session, right? Am I justifying here? Point is, I will gladly miss a session without (too much) guilt now. All three of my boys, my family and friends are much higher priority now, as they should be.

Don't get me wrong, I'll still go to bed early and I won't drink often but I'm more inclined to let myself have a personal life. Although, it seems that I'm just going to have to get up earlier to get those sessions in before everyone gets up in the morning.

22 February 2010

Biking

I had mentioned to Marty about a week ago that I had been feeling some painful stretching behind my left knee for a few weeks, to which he replied that it was most likely tendinitis. So a couple of days before the evil Valentine's Day Massacre marathon relay, he adjusted my bike seat by dropping it 3 mm and then gave me a super easy, restful week last week.

So on Saturday I met him and Bri for a 2 hour endurance ride. It was kinda cold, and I have no cold weather gear. Bri loaned me a jacket and some toe warmer booty thingies. I was happy that they like to ride easy in the winter. Not only did it give me a chance to ride with a "group" so to speak, it was nice just to have company and some more experienced riders to tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I found out that my approach to biking on hills (being self taught since I clipped in for the first time 5 years ago) was completely backwards. Whereas I would normally end up dropping my cadence way down on hills due to not knowing when to shift, I found out that it is for that exact reason why I always seem to give out on the bike. Apparently, stop me if you knew this (or don't, just let me believe somebody else was of the same belief as I) you are supposed to increase your cadence on a hill because slowing down engages your fast twitch muscles which brings on lactic acid build up more quickly....hmmm the science of it all. Well no $h!t. It makes so much sense now. I'm relieved almost, to find out that I'm not just a horrible biker and that there is indeed something I was doing wrong that can be corrected.

So on Sunday, Tim and I met Bri, Marty and Steffen for a broken brick. We did a 18.5 mile loop followed by a 20 minute run, then another 18.5 mile loop followed by a 10 minute run. They all took it easy the first loop and I was able to hang with everybody. The first run sucked. Then we started the second bike loop and I was left from the beginning. At first I felt a little disappointed, but in the end I actually think it helped me. I probably pushed harder to maintain the speed we had kept the first time around but I was by myself. I felt like if I had done that work out alone, I would have slowed way down, but part of me just kept trying to pedal so I wouldn't be that far back from the others. The last run sucked.

Surprisingly, I was not sore after either workout. Which means I'm probably in better shape than I thought I was or I need to be pushing even harder...not sure which. But my transition runs are stinking up the course at this point. I need to get on that.

19 February 2010

Through the eyes of a 3.5 year old

These are the things a 3.5 year old finds interesting enough to take pictures of... in the order they were taken:

1. Self photo
2. Picture of Brayden trying to bite the button off of the shower curtain no doubt...nice nostril shot. Glad there were no boogers.3. Not sure if this is another one of Brayden or if it's Ryan's attempt at another self photo.

4. Bathroom lights5. Hand6. Hall/play area...let's focus on that dump truck....shall we?
7. Shower curtain...they both love the monkey theme...of course we did the monkey theme because they act like monkeys when in the bath tub...go figure.
8. Dump truck...there were actually 4 more pictures of that truck, but I opted to only show you all one angle. Apparently the boys like that truck.

Note to self...put camera up after use....in a locked cabinet or drawer.

15 February 2010

I wish I had a picture

After having a few friends over last Saturday night, I was told this was a good story to post...I just wish I had a picture to go with it. So let me set the stage for you:

Brayden is addicted to toothpaste. He is like a heat seeking missile, only with toothpaste. He will find every tube and walk around with his pinkie stuck in the top and then lick his pinkie every 5 minutes and say "mmmm mommie". Thankfully he mostly does this with his and Ryan's "toddler" toothpaste that is fluoride free. Occasionally he sneaks in to our bathroom and ends up with Tim's crest sensitive or my Colgate.

About two weeks ago, Ryan decided that he needed the entire new roll of toilet paper I had put in their bathroom to clean up some poop he had dropped on the floor, so he literally put the entire roll in the toilet and then came running out with his underwear around his ankles asking for help because the toilet water was "coming out to get me". So I get the plunger out and plunge everything down. Mistake number 1: leaving the plunger in the boys bathroom by the toilet when I'm done.

So a little over a week ago, Tim and I were getting some little jobs done around the house. Tim was in Brayden's room fixing the curtain rod that was crooked and drooping in the middle and I was in our bathroom trying to fix the drain on the sink. The boys were playing in the play room in the middle of the upstairs (between the rooms Tim and I were in). I could hear giggling and talking and everything sounded fine...we all know that silence is deadly with little ones and there was no silence to be heard, so I wasn't stressed. When all of a sudden, Tim comes charging into our bathroom with Brayden in hand.

He was SOAKED and stood there with the biggest grin on his face. "No, mommie". Tim said he found Brayden in his bathroom playing with the plunger in the toilet...splashing all the water out and then sticking the plunger into his mouth like he had to taste to make sure whatever he was making was good. To make it better, as Brayden was playing with the plunger, Ryan was standing behind him, with my toothpaste, squirting it on the top of Brayden's head.

I just laughed. Tim didn't think it was that funny, but I found out 2 things: 1) Brayden will be able to help unclog our toilets now and 2) he gets his daily allotment of germs, so I know his immune system is ok!

I still can't stop laughing.

12 February 2010

Any takers???

This is the first big race of the season for me...Washington Half Iron. I've got 3 more months, but I'm excited. Check it out, I know somebody wants to join Tim and I out there, right? It's being run by a great company (FS Series) and is in a nice town (Washington NC). Should be a super fast course, as it's all flat. Tim did the Oly distance they held there last year. It went so well they added the half earlier in the season.

Couldn't ask for a better event planning company to put it on, the staff are friendly, professional and accommodating! I absolutely love them! I've actually made it a point to have most of my races with them this year. It doesn't hurt that my coach has his swim series through them as well...hehe. http://fsseries.com/index.php?action=calendar&type=8

11 February 2010

We Won the LOTTERY!!!!!

Oh heck yeah! That's what I'm talking about. What the heck has the family I married into done to convince me that the name Gautreau=bad luck. NO SIR! I called Tim this morning and said, I'm on my way to enter the lottery and he just said matter of factly "Well don't get disappointed." I politely responded "Don't bring your bad luck on me, I have good luck." he said "You're a Gautreau now, you don't have luck."

Well I simply asked him to send positive thoughts my way...and I don't know if he did but we won! It's wasn't money, but we won....two spots in a treasured church daycare starting in September. hehehe. Sorry to disappoint you readers out there. Apparently these places start registration now for September classes. And this particular church has really, Really good reviews and they do enrollment for open spots in the following priority:

1. church members with returning kids
2. church members
3. family of church members
4. non church members with returning kids
5. public first time enrollers

I happen to land in category 5, so there were limited spots as I got there today anyway. So as you turn in registration forms, they assign you a number and then numbers are put into a pot and drawn randomly. So I got number 20 to begin with and was the 19th person called from the lottery. Luckily most of the people called infront of me were registering girls or I would have been SOL.

On top of that, the 4 and 5 yr. classes are the hardest to get in to. Tim and I wanted something for Ryan to do a half day (9-12) two or three days/week starting around August to help prepare for kindergarten. This place is literally less than half the cost of our other day care program that was similar. At the other place we could have gone back for two days (9:30 to 12:30) for $275/month. This church, let's just say that I can get 5 days a week (9-12) for about half of that cost. Plus the parents rave about the teachers and the set up.

I'm excited. Ryan's in the Tuesday/Thursday class but wait listed for the MWF class. I actually got the last spot for him. And Brayden is in the MW class, but wait listed for the T/TH class. Brayden was the next to last spot. The goal is to try and get them going on the same days so mommy has more time to work and clean house. We'll see how that goes.

Amen for the Barnes good luck. Gautreau's I'm gonna take back the bad luck and we're starting over. Maybe next time it will be for money!

10 February 2010

Uwharrie 20 mile trail race: Pictures

For the grandparents:
Breakfast in the car at 0'dark thirty. 40 milers had started but not made it to mile 2 yet.




After breakfast and the 40 milers made it past us at mile 2, we needed to play, first in the car...then we got out to play a little while waiting for daddy.
Here comes daddy at mile 2...in the lead. Notice the smile, well trust me, there was a huge smile. Probably more so because he was fresh than in the lead.


Mile 8: I refer to as "no man's land". Tim ran off course twice and fell back to 11th and scared the crap out of me because he wasn't with the lead 20 milers as they came through. The facial expression was one more of "eh, oh well". No shots of the boys at mile 8, they were throwing sticks and beating up trees while I was capturing daddy on camera.Mile 11: "Is this over yet?" or "King of off course", pick your title. Still in 11th place, but went off course again. Notice the look of disgust. No pictures of the boys here because there was no place at this marker to actually play. It was only a road crossing, so they were in the car while I poked my head out to take a picture.

Tim finished 11th overall this year. Much better than the DNF from last year after the blisters and such. I missed the finish line photo because I was too busy taking the boys and their muddy, clay stained clothes to the car. They managed to throw rocks and clay at cars, eat the clay and try to push over a small tree in the national park. Yeah, I was "that parent" Saturday that could not control her children. Perhaps it was because they were cooped up in the car most of the day, or maybe the cold got to them...you know like how dogs go absolutely crazy in cold/snowy weather. Anyhow, I could have sworn it was a full moon that day or so I hoped. At least that would have given me an excuse. No such luck. They were just bad.

02 February 2010

Where's mommy

Last night Tim and I went over to the neighbors house to watch House and 24. Ryan went with us to play with their kids; it was a good time for the family.

At some point during House, Ryan came meandering downstairs and looked right at me asking some question like "what are you doing?" To which our neighbor Shauna replied "Ryan, where's your mommy?" Ryan looked at her confused and then started looking around the room. "Ryan, is your mommy in the chimney?" Ryan again looked at Shauna, then walked over to the chimney, bent over and then looked up the chimney as best he could. This went on for a good 2 or 3 minutes. The entire time I was just rolling on the couch laughing loudly and he never looked at me or came over there. Even after he had seen me originally.

Finally, I called his name and told him to come over and give me a hug. He just let out a little giggle. I'm glad that my 3.5 year old son can still be 3.5 years old and isn't so grown that he doesn't believe the insane requests of a joking adult. It's just so darn cute. I love that little boy so much.