Archive for February, 2010
« Older Entries | Newer Entries »and running, running… and running, running
Monday, February 15th, 2010
I got back into the running groove this weekend.
I’ve had fits and starts over the last few weeks, but I nailed it once again. It feels really good to give my body a hard workout two days in a row. And I’m hoping that I can keep it up with the work week. The key to my success this weekend was getting back outside.
The temps nudged back into the upper 30s which makes it sooooo much easier to run outside. I regularly run on the treadmill in my basement throughout the winter, but it’s easy to get sluggish and not really push it. Especially when I’m running while doing laundry and stopping to take clothes out of the washer to put into the dryer.
However, I will say that running on the treadmill makes me a better outdoor runner. Part of this is because the treadmill gives me the opportunity to run at an incline. Or to walk uphill at a steep incline. After a few months of this, when I run outside I find the hills to be more “effortless” if this is possible. Plus, I find it really hard to run a longer distance on the treadmill. By mile 3 I just want off of that thing.
So, Saturday I went for a longer run outside. About 5.5 miles which is decent considering that my longest treadmill runs are about a 5K (3.1 miles). I did fairly well. I stopped a few times to stretch since I wasn’t used to the pounding my feet take on the pavement. But it was really nice to bask in the daylight sun and get a little vitamin D while I was outdoors.
It also helped to switch up my outdoor course. When I run outside I tend to run the same old loop which is about 4.5 miles. It’s a familiar loop that takes me past the same neighborhoods and intersections. But this time I charted a new course and by running on new streets and through new neighborhoods, and it definitely kept my attention.
Sunday I was back on the treadmill, but I pushed myself to run a faster 5K with a consistent slight incline. And then I walked uphill at a steep incline for an additional 20 minutes. It felt really good. In fact, I’m a little sore now, but psyched to get my body moving and accelerating.
I have ideas brewing in my head about getting back into some longer distance running (again). Almost 4 years ago I ran a half marathon, and I’m thinking about doing another one. I want to prep my body to be in the best possible pre-pregnancy shape. And I want to challenge myself physically and mentally again. I am at my best when I have training goals. Whether it’s to get in shape for my own wedding (last year) or a potential pregnancy, I’ll take the motivation where I can get it.
So, that’s what I’m pondering right now. I’m thinking that watching the Olympics is also a motivating factor. I’m awestruck by the incredible dedication and athleticism I’m witnessing. I know I can push myself, and I should push myself.
My struggle is with the follow-through. When I get home from work I am so mentally spent that pretty much all I want to do is crawl into bed and get into the fetal position. I’m going to have to work on this… Either I have to commit to running before work (hah!) or I have to find the motivation to get physical after a brutally long and draining day.
On the upside, it’s getting lighter later. And this gives me motivation and encouragement. The winter slumber will soon be over. And I will have more daylight to get outside and gallop into the sunset!
Tags: running, treadmill, winter, winter hibernation
Posted in Let's Get Physical, On the Subject of Parenthood | No Comments »
thankful and thinking
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Soooo happy that Craig is home safe from Germany.
He had quite an adventure getting home with all the snow up and down the eastern seaboard. Washington D.C. flights were totally cancelled and he had to fly into Chicago. But then his flight to NH was cancelled last night. So this morning he tried again and got a flight into Boston. 37 hours after leaving Munich, and 2 planes, a bus, and cab later… he is HOME! Wahoooo!
Seeing him makes me beam. And seeing him makes me think about babies. I know, I know… I said it! I wrote it! Out loud! Ack!
Not like let’s go make them at this very second, but I’ve been giving a lot of thought to kiddos especially lately because my younger sister is pregnant with twins and we’re planning her baby shower. And my friend Melissa is pregnant. And my friend Tiffany. And my friend Sarah. And sheeesh, who isn’t pregnant right now???
So I’ve been thinking a lot about babies and definitively deciding to procreate. And timing and when exactly do we think we’re going to get started on this whole next adventure? Huh? Huh? Holy crap! Breathe… breathe…
Not quite yet, but soon. Soon enough. It’ll be coming soon.
And I realize that there is so much reading and research and planning and thinking that I will want to be doing soon. I think. It takes so much effort to be like—okay 100% all in! let’s do this—and sometimes I get really into it. I’m having that kind of week. Especiallly after seeing my sister’s latest ultrasound photos and feeling her babies kick! The most amazing thing!
If I had to guestimate a plan, I’d say that I’d like to think about a fall timeframe for getting pregnant. Now you might be thinking… that’s soooo far away! But really, it isn’t in the scheme of things. Time is happening so quickly for me these days. And I want to make sure that my body and my mind are fully prepped and ready to go. And that means getting my whole self ready and planning and savoring. And becoming sure and steady about such a monumental decision.
And so I think about it NOW. In the middle of February. When it’s cold and I’ve been alone in the house for a week eating Doritos and lentil soup. Hah! It bubbles up to the forefront of my consciousness and causes me some great anxiety and excitement. And I know it will simmer down again soon.
But the kiddo factor is definitely on my radar. Gulp.
Tags: alone time, pregnancy
Posted in On the Subject of Parenthood, The Daily Balance | No Comments »
things that go bump in the night
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
I’ve been home alone now for 6 nights while Craig is away in Germany on business.
I’m no stranger to spending time alone, and in fact, I relish it. Don’t mind it at all. I’ve always been that way. Some people hate to be alone. I however, find that an alone break fosters self-reliance and mental clarity. And it also makes me miss Craig that much more and get super excited to see him and hang out again.
Spending time alone has its perks. The computer is all mine, the dishwasher needs loading less often, and if I’m grumpy I can be a miserable mess. I can sing really bad songs at the top of my lungs, treat myself to a good bottle of wine, watch whatever sappy movies I want (Footloose was on TV last week!), hog the washing machine, and take extra-long hot showers.
Being alone in the house also has some distinct drawbacks. I am so much more aware of all the odd noises and creakiness our little old house makes. Especially when it’s freezing and very windy outside. The wind whips between the window panes, the fence gate bangs shut, the furnace turns on more often, and our baseboard hot water heat makes all sorts of pings and clangs.
I think that normally I don’t even hear these things. But because I am home alone, I am so much more AWARE of everything that is going on. I’m much more vigilant. And all these noises and pings and pops and clangings from the pipes got the best of me last night. I had trouble falling asleep. I could hear EVERYTHING as if I was lying in bed with a stethoscope on. I started to get irritated and jumpy. I kept tossing and turning and looking at the clock. Ick.
This means that I have fully quenched my thirst for my alone time, and I am more than ready to have Craig come back home to roost. I miss him. I love coming home after a long day and regaling him with my boring work stories. I miss hearing about his days in person and bouncing ideas off one another. He is my creative muse, inspiring me to cook healthy meals versus blowing through a bag of Doritos. He is also the voice of reason when I don’t feel like going running—he reminds me that I’ll feel so much better once I do it. And he’s always right.
Craig gets my sense of humor like no one else. We get excited about the same things. My joie de vive is elevated when he’s around. I am so looking forward to watching the Olympics together on our new TV!
Or we can just co-exist in harmonious silence, too. Each doin’ our own thing. I don’t care, I just want him home safe and sound.
And, of course, to have him close by when things go bump in the night.
Tags: alone time, gas furnace, laughter therapy, running
Posted in Household Management 101, The Daily Balance | No Comments »
clean shower, clean sheets
Monday, February 8th, 2010
Another weekend has come to an end, and it was a satisfying one because I did lots and lots of much-needed cleaning.
After multiple vinegar and baking soda volcanos in the bathtub drain, I think I’ve finally got our shower/tub back in working order. The drain had been getting slower and slower, and I had to resort to a little plunging action today along with taking apart the drain stopper to see if anything was clogged. Most likely it’s my hair. I can’t keep up with it all, I lose a lot in the shower. But the old coat hanger trick along with copious amount of vinegar and baking soda seems to have worked.
And then I scrubbed and scrubbed. The whole tub, all the grout between the tiles, all the tiles, the showerhead… you name it. That shower is now spic-and-span. And it’s funny, cause now I’m kinda sore. That is a really good arm and leg workout straddling the tub and bending and reaching and applying pressure to scrub and rinse. Phew.
The trick is the maintenance and regular wipe-downs to keep it clean.
The other big task this weekend was laundry. And not the regular clothes laundry, but the washing of sheets, blankets, towels, and the stuff that has doesn’t fit in the regular load so you set it aside for “next time”. It always feels so good to put clean sheets on the bed and get all the layers of the blanket cave clean.
Although I did have one little mishap: I was putting the fitted sheet back on the bed and managed to scrape my knuckle along the head board somehow while I was tucking in the corners. I already had a scab on my knuckle from some other winter hand mishap (winter hands! ugh!) and I managed to rip the scab off without realizing it. And then I was smoothing out the sheet and saw that there was this tiny little blood puddle right there in front of me. On my sheet. That had been out of the dryer less than 5 minutes.
Aaaaaaaaagggg! I was livid… figures, right? Clean sheets and now blood! I raced to the bathroom and got a cold wet washcloth and scrubbed (I’m getting good at this!) and out the blood came very easily. Phew. I was so relieved. And thankful. I like these sheets—they’re organic and a beautiful tan color. And I’d like to keep them presentable for as long as possible.
So, now it’s back to the work week. But I get to go sleep on clouds with soft clean sheets and fuzzy fresh blankets. It makes going to bed that much easier.
Tags: baking soda, exercise, laundry, organic, vinegar
Posted in Household Management 101, Let's Get Physical | 1 Comment »
oh, sweet furnace, how i love thee.
Friday, February 5th, 2010
Ah, being a homeowner is quite a kick.
Came home from work tonight and went to turn up the heat. Noticed that the thermostat was even lower (if that’s possible!) than what we normally keep it at during the day. Then I realized that our wireless weather station said it was on 52° inside. Uh-oh. Crap, crap, crap!
Me in a panic racing down to the basement to go gape at the monstrosity that is our old boiler. Out completely. No pilot, no nothing. Me in an even greater panic because I’m home alone—Craig is in Germany on business. CRAP! My first thought: the house is going to explode. I have no decent knowledge of how gas boilers work. At all. We used to turn the furnace off in the summer, and when Craig would go to re-light the pilot, I’d crouch in the far corner of the yard in fear. Rocking back and forth afraid to even look at the house. I don’t like dealing with gas. Or electricity. One bit.
But I’m home alone, and I’m an adult, and I CAN DO THIS. So, I gathered my wits and hopped online to look up the company that last inspected our furnace a year and a half ago. I called and, of course, no one picked up. Ugh.
A quick google search brought up a company nearby with excellent customer satisfaction ratings, so I called. And they answered. And they came 15 minutes later. Bless them. The dashing young man who showed up was very friendly and very helpful.
He diagnosed the problem right away—the thermocouple. And funny, cause that was my hope from my googling. Not that I would try to fix that myself, nooooo way. He lit the pilot in moments and hooked up the new wire while I watched transfixed. He had no problem being mere inches away from a gas source with a lighter in hand. That to me is heroism.
So the furnace is back on and humming away and slowly our little house is regaining its warmth. Our pipes have not burst. Phew.
My credit card had a good workout, and now I’ve learned a valuable lesson—it’s worth it to get the furnace checked out annually in the fall. Waaaaaay less expensive to have a regularly scheduled checkup where they can replace a worn-out part than to have it crap out in the dead of winter on a Friday night when a service call is considered overtime and I’m out a few hundred dollars.
However, I’m thankful that the problem was easily fixable, and even more thankful that we diligently save money every month for the house emergency fund.
I will now flop on the couch with a glass of wine and enjoy the HDTV that we purchased last weekend. Because knowing me, if this furnace expense had happened just a week ago, that lovely flat screen would have never made its merry way into our home.
Tags: gas furnace, HDTV, wine
Posted in Household Management 101 | No Comments »