True Confession Thursday: Whatever It Takes

Posted on March 21, 2013 by stridingmom

Last week I had Dr. Scott check out my IT band as it’s been really tight on long runs and I’m scared paranoid petrified cautious about injuries this close to Boston. Dr. Scott suggested to have someone video tape me running, which is, you know, super easy when you’re on the trails running solo. Anyway, I finally suckered some random guy walking his dog to video tape me running for 20 seconds. #whateverittakes I’m really happy he didn’t run away with my phone.

Yep, Tinkerbell shirt and hat on backwards (it was hot) – “13 year old boy, meets 13 year old girl” fashion.

Later that evening I got home and the boys were naturally asking (aka, read: complaining) about what I was cooking for dinner. Chicken piccata, risotto and steamed asparagus. They really have such a tough life.

Chocolate: Mom, aspawagus is awesome.
Me: Because it tastes good?
Chocolate: No
Me: Because it’s good for you?
Chocolate: [getting annoyed} No
Me: Why then?
Chocolate: Because it’s the only vegetable that makes your pee smell weally bad. I’m going to eat a WOT of it.

#whateverittakes

It’s also been super foggy here in the mornings in SoCal (I know, we have it really rough) so I’ve been opting to wear my neon shirts on TOP of my jacket – yes jacket and it’s 50 degrees, I’m a SoCal weenie. Unfortunately this is messing with my running ninja look (the all black I typically sport), but I do have some visibility and I get home from my run in 1 piece instead of bent over the hood of a car. I know, I might be starting a ridiculous fashion trend. #whateverittakes

The other day #runger struck me something fierce and hard and I found myself pounding scrambled eggs, toast, and a spinach salad mid-day. Unfortunately I had to run 1.5 hours later. Not my favorite 6.5 miles, but it was the only chance I had to run. #whateverittakes #heytherelunchnicetoseeyouagain

I crashed the Road Runner Sports Girls Night Out by showing up with two wild & crazy guys. (Desperate times, the only time I could squeeze in a much needed purchase) #whateverittakes

Wait…not those wild & crazy guys….THESE wild & crazy guys

How have you done whatever it takes this week?

True Confession Thursday: Sometimes I

Posted on March 14, 2013 by stridingmom

7 miles
Silly Should’ve Been Slow Strides

Sometimes I think my kids subconsciously know I’m literally “cornered” when I’m in the shower and come to me with the woes of the world and the need for a referee RIGHT THEN.

Sometimes I end up talking on my phone during my run and run too fast for slow, easy runs.

For some of you this is not a fast run (or it might be ridic fast for some of you…remember it’s not how fast or slow you’re running, but what you should be running), but though I was running almost 9 minute miles. . I was on the phone from mile 2-6 and tied my shoe in mile 4.

Sometimes I get woken up to leprechaun kisses in March.

Sometimes I just wish I could freeze time and bottle this up forever….

Sometimes I walk into my kids rooms in the morning singing in a falsetto opera voice just so the first thing I hear from them in the morning is a giggle before the fighting and whining begins.

Sometimes I take an extra long shower so I can’t hear the kids bickering as loudly.

Sometimes I am so grateful to the person at the Gu product packaging lab who designed the package to survive the washing machine….twice.

What do you sometimes do?

True Confession Thursday: Random Conversations

Posted on December 20, 2012 by stridingmom

Ran 4.25 miles Tuesday
45 minutes Trampolining Cross Training Wednesday
Bouncing Strides

It’s been a super random week here in Casa de Striding Mom. It’s the kind of week that makes me glad for my family, my faith, and red wine.

Some snippets….

#1 - I significantly injured my hand this week – we’re talking major sprain or fracture. Sadly the only thing I kept thinking was, “Hey, at least I can run, right?!” (hello…#IAmWarped)

#2 - I had my sons’ birthday party this week (hence the trampolining). As I carted a car full of kindergarten boys home I asked them if they liked to exercise and was met with a chorus of yeses. When I asked what they like to do, I got the following responses.

”Yoga!!”

“Spinning!”

If those answers don’t confirm the fact I live in Orange County, I just don’t know what will.

#3 - Strawberry was not happy with my music choices on the way home from the Holly Jolly Half the other day and was mad…like super mega mad. It was ridiculous, because my mad 90′s party including fabulous hits like Third Eye Blind and Oasis was practically an Oscar worthy scoring of the weekend. Vanilla was clearly impressed.

So Strawberry got creative and drafted up this precious little sign and posted it in the window. I giggled the entire time while he kept grumbling, “Wait until the police arrest you!”.

In accordance with all good parenting handbooks, I informed him the failure of anyone to call 9-1-1 was a result, not of his fabulous creativity, but because he needs to work on his handwriting. (His teacher’s been working on this at school…kid can spell congruent, but it’s hardly legible).

What are you grateful for this week?

What’s your favorite random cross training?
Other than the obvious trampolining, I actually dig a good roller blade once in a while…but only while I listen to Ace of Bass in my

True Confession Thursday: Double Trouble

Posted on December 13, 2012 by stridingmom

4.5 Miles
Lead Leg Strides

Yep, yesterday was a monster hill workout. It was fast, it was brutal…and it didn’t feel nice at all, even though I knew it was doing a lot of good – kinda like going to the dentist.

But in more important news…I’m like the luckiest mom in the world because I get not just 1 birthday on Wednesday, but back to back birthday celebrations! (Double pancake batter on day 1 saves monster time on day 2).

Such the snuggle bug. He spends much time in the crook of my arm.

So today, on what we’re calling the 13 sandwich (12-13-12) I get to wish my Vanilla Bean the happiest birthday. This kid is something else – filled with compassion, kindness, humor, and is quite the introvert at times. Bless his stubborn soul, he once sat in a car seat for 3+ hours refusing to apologize to his aunt. Methinks he’s got the tenacity in him that just might make him a great long distance runner

Good thing I’ve been doing some speed work this week, the extra cake is catching up! We still have 4 more birthday celebrations to go over the next week to celebrate with all of the important peeps in the boys lives with these mid-week birthdays.

Tell me about your favorite speed workout?
I need to mix mine up a bit!

True Confession Thursday: ‘Cause I Win!

Posted on November 29, 2012 by stridingmom

4 miles
The literal 30 minute run
Speedy, Rain Dodging, Between Meetings, Lunchtime, Gotta Get it In Strides

If you’ve been around this neck of the woods long enough, you know I am incredibly mature and refined in my movie selection choices which is precisely why I quote Adam Sandler on a regular basis. You also know that I like winning: running events (okay so I like TRYING to win those, never getting the big #1), winning raffles (once again, never win, but A for effort), even a quick race up the stairs. I’ll take a win any way I can.

And since I live in a house full of boys under the age of 8, this Adam Sandler clip (slightly doctored) is pretty much an example of what ‘winning’ looks like in my life.

With my little babes around, I feel like I’m always losing. This was especially true when I stumbled across this one evening this week.

Yep- No Girls Allowed. Then one of my kids got smart and made a new one:

“No girls allowed excipt the cleaning lady”

Guess a boy likes his clean sheets.

It felt like three little boys simultaneously having an “I Win!” moment right in my face. And I loved the challenge.

A little while later, three hungry amigos came traipsing to the kitchen for snacks only to find this little gem I drew.

‘Cause you know what?????

I WON!

True Confession Thursday: How To NOT Be Mom of The Year

Posted on November 15, 2012 by stridingmom

Unintentional Rest Day
So What Strides

If there was ever any doubt that my Mom of the Year application should just get lost in the mail, today provided ample evidence that fate would reject my application before the committee would.

As soon as he woke up Chocolate was complaining about his knee. He has a habit of sleeping funny and waking up with sore joints because of the ridiculous angle he sleeps in (imagine a backwards C with arms and legs splayed for from every side of the bed).

Evidence as to why I’m not an artist or graphic designer

As he headed out of the car at school I realized he had a big ol’ bump on his leg….and the leg was all warm. Yep, one marble sized abscess with heat to go please. I felt badly for making him “walk it off” all morning.

Apparently the ability to ignore your kids when they’re in serious pain is genetic since my mother did this to me when I broke my arm….and then again when I broke my ankle….

Mom and I doing yoga this summer….apparently we’ve made amends since then

No seriously Mom, I’m pretty sure the damage was only semi-permanent.

My bid for Mom of the Year took another turn for the worse when we hit up Target to pick up Chocolate’s antibiotics. I was so worried about getting change out for the 3 kids to put into the charity box in front of the store that I failed to notice only two kids were standing next to me.

#FAIL

After a brief panic and scan inside the store I found the day glow haired friend casually reading a magazine at the checkout like he unquestioningly knew I’d be back.

Luckily kids are pretty resilient and a little ice cream makes the memories fade away fast.

What #fails have you had this week?
When was the last time your schedule ate up your workout time entirely?

True Confession Thursday: The Absent-Minded Professor

Posted on November 8, 2012 by stridingmom

5 Miles
Hacking Strides

At 6am yesterday morning and put together a “to do” list for the day. I quickly stashed the paper away so as not to lose it. As the day wore on, I couldn’t figure out where in the world I put that stupid piece of paper. I worked and was in mile 4 out of 5 before I remembered where the stupid paper was.

Genius!

Somewhere around mile 4.25 in a 5 mile run I couldn’t figure out why my chest was all scratchy.

The run itself was a total boneheaded move as I have had a craptastic cough on and off all week and it went all kamikaze on me last night and this morning. During a period of Robitussin reprieve I thought I felt good enough to squeeze a few miles in on my way to picking up the boys from school this evening.

Stupid move.

I fought the cough and the cough won. This girl’s gotta remember that running is okay if it’s in the neck and above, but when the cold’s in the chest – keep the running shoes off the toesies.

Snuggle sesh!

Luckily Vanilla and Chocolate were down for a snuggle sesh before bed to help make up for the day’s stupidity. Apparently there’s nothing that some nightly nestling from showered and pajamaed 5 year-olds can’t fix.

What have you literally lost “right under your nose”?
When do you know when to run and when to cut it out when you’re under the weather?

True Confession Thursday: The Guilt Factor

Posted on November 1, 2012 by stridingmom

Source

4 Miles
Chocolate Obsessed Strides

When I was something-teen years old I remember someone really explaining the concept of guilt to me.

My response, “Why are we talking about this? That’s just normal functioning people. Isn’t this ‘guilt’ you speak of a normal state of being?”

On the 1-10 guilt scale, I pretty much hover around a 24.8 on a regular basis.

So naturally I spent a good chunk of Sunday afternoon feeling pretty darn guilty that I get to have runs like this (see pic below), with my toes running through the sand when the rest of the country was prepping to face Super Storm Sandy. I tried to not feel too guilty though since that run was so good for my heart, soul and legs and instead ended with an attitude of gratitude about it all.

But the Guilt Monster struck again yesterday afternoon. As per usual, the thought of all of that Halloween candy in my house led me to one of two logical conclusions: exercise self-control or construct a guilt counter-strike operation.

The choice was obvious.

So I registered for the Surf City Marathon in February before the cost increase tomorrow and then went for a quick run to distract myself from my candy fixation.

I tuned my iPhone to ESPN radio for my run naively thinking they would, oh I don’t know, actually be talking about sports. Instead I found my favorite sportscasters not discussing sports, but Ditkaween and their favorite types of candy in graphic detail for 31 minutes and 28 seconds, but who was counting?

Game, set, match, chocolate - you win!

As for me I spent the rest of the night trick or treating and sneaking chocolate from my kids Halloween bags. When asked, I simply informed them I was “checking it to make sure it wasn’t poisoned.” (Why yes, I have become my mother so wipe that smirk from your face or I’ll wipe it off for you). And I’ll spend the rest of the week mentally cursing long runs while I pound mini candy bars like they’re going out of style.

What’s your favorite candy?
Where does your guilt scale typically register?

True Confession Thursday: Reality

Posted on October 25, 2012 by stridingmom

Not enough time, not enough energy…but let me just say that to get through Thursday….THIS happened.

What’s the most impulsive thing you bought this week?

Beyond running, what’s your favorite coping mechanism?
Ben & Jerry’s takes the cake for me….

True Confession Thursday: Go To Your Happy Place

Posted on October 11, 2012 by stridingmom

40 Minutes on the Elliptical
Swishy Swishy Strides

After Tuesday’s ankle fiasco, I opted to take it easy and hit the elliptical on Wednesday.

Have I ever mentioned what bad luck I have choosing machines at the gym? I step onto one and it’s making a ca-thunk, ca-thunk sound. Annoyed, I choose another machine.

Squeeeeaakk, Squeeeeakk with every step.

By this point I’m chuckling because everyone probably thinks I’m crazy (half true) and I find a 3rd machine. Like Goldilocks, the third one was just right.

I hate the elliptical. So I kept trying to channel my inner Happy Gilmore and go to my happy place.

Source

Which got me thinking…what is my happy place? I mean, I can often think of my little buttheads…

How can these faces not make anyone happy?

Honestly, the happiest place I found today came from this little note Vanilla colored and snuck up on the bulletin board in my room this morning. He never told me about it, I just happened to find it when I printed something off for work and I know for certain it wasn’t there last night. (Why yes I don’t know what day of the week it is, but I do know what is on my bulletin board. This is normal, yes?)

Yes he can write his name, and no I cannot gracefully edit it out with my less than stellar paintbrush skills.

No matter how your slice or dice it, someone must have spiked my pre-race banana with happy pills on Sunday. After last year’s bad picture debacle at Long Beach, there was nothing but smiles for miles on Sunday.

Who is that chick? I don’t seem to recognize her….
Photos from Brightroom.

In typical runnerd fashion, I actually noticed my near heel strike in the first photo before I realized I was actually smiling as I crossed the finish line. And yes, photo #3 was at mile 8ish or so, and I was smiling then too. But that’s probably because I was doing my best flamingo impression mid-race. I knew I should have worn my green shirt instead of pink.

What’s your happy place?

Striding Mom

Taking each day one stride at a time!

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