the one where I get all deep and stuff

"One day I won't be able to do this, today is not that day." -Unknown

For some reason this quote has been gnawing at the edge of my brain for days. The idea that I need to be grateful for the "here and now." Dwelling in the excitement about where I am in my running and in my life. 

Maybe it's the realization that my baby, the little boy I used to spend hours cuddling with and singing the Beatles to, is going to kindergarten next year. The understanding that I'm pretty content with our family of four. Or it could be finding old pictures and realizing I was never as fat as I thought I was.

There is also a sense that its not just about today but also about the long term. 

I run now so I can walk later.

I drink spinach smoothies because my body needs fiber and vitamins. I want my body to like me when I'm old.

Sometimes, I wonder if its worth it; the early mornings, the discomfort, the sweat. Then I remember all that running has given me. Pride in myself and in my accomplishments. Excitement about new challenges. Camaraderie with fellow runners. A healthy lifestyle that allows me to make the most of every day with my children. 

These are the reasons I lace up my sneakers and put in mile after mile.

"One day I won't be able to do this, today is not that day." -Unknown

the one where I complain

This is not my first rodeo.

You would think after training for four marathons I would know what to expect. You would think that I would be used to having my alarm clock go off at 5 a.m. and that the miles would be easy.

Mmmmm not so much.

I'm exhausted. 29 miles this week and I feel like I could sleep for a month.

It's the stinking mid-week pace run that gets me EVERY time. A 6, 7, or 8 mile run sandwiched between 2 four mile runs is exhausting. By the time Thursday rolled around, I was curling up on my couch fighting to keep my eyes open.

I'm tired. Yeah, that's pretty much a state of constant being these days.

It doesn't help that I did something to my right shoulder and now its all wonky and painful. I didn't fall, I didn't bang it, I haven't been in a car accident. I just woke up one morning in pain. I hurt it in my sleep. In my sleep. How lame is that? If it doesn't get better soon I'm going to have to either get a massage or go see a Dr. Or both. It doesn't hurt while I run though, so there's that.

I'm not actually as cranky as I might sound. A good night sleep will cure what ails me. And maybe a new song or two for my running playlist.

the one where I'm thwarted by a race car

It started with a Lightning McQueen bed tent found on clearance. 

It ended with the above mentioned bed tent being thrown down the basement stairs in a fit of rage at 1 a.m.

scary basement stairs

I had a bed tent as a kid. It was a My Little Ponies tent and I loved it. I would create stories about the ponies and let my imagination run wild. It's one of my favorite childhood memories.

My son and I have very similar personalities. He is an introvert and loves to be comfy cozy. I was so excited to surprise him with a hiding place. Realistically, I knew that a bed tent found on clearance probably wouldn't stand the test of time. However, I thought it would at least last the day. No such luck. An hour. The bed tent lasted an hour until my children ripped the entrance up to the top seam, throwing the whole support system out of whack.

Now I had a very upset 4 1/2 year old and a growing sense of anxiety about failing in my mission to recreate a precious childhood memory for my child. My husband jury rigged the tent to the bed and let him sleep in it that night. I checked on him before I went bed and it was like 1,000 degrees in that tent. His pillow was drenched, he was sweaty - it was a toddler sauna. I pulled the tent off the bed and told him I would fix it in the morning.

Fast forward to about 12:00 a.m. I was laying in bed obsessing about how I could fix the cheap, poorly made, poorly designed, toddler sauna. I get out of bed and go back into his room and while attempting to pull it out the door - quietly - I broke one of the support poles in half. So as I'm standing in my living room, trying to tape the broken pole together with blue painter's tape and clear packing tape, I realized that perhaps I was acting a little nuts.

This theory was only further confirmed by this message I sent to a friend in a "I've been on Pinterest for way too long and am feeling inadequate" panic.

    

At that point I put the iPad down and went to bed. W asked me about the bed tent once the next morning and hasn't said a word about it since. sigh.

this one is all Heather's fault....

Oops, I did it again.

No, I didn't shave my head or attack a photographer with an umbrella a la Brittney Spears. Rather I registered for another trail race.

A half marathon.

On February 23. Roughly a month and 10 days from now. 2 days before I leave for my romantic, 10 year wedding anniversary trip to Paris with my long suffering husband.

I was actually planning on doing this race, the full, next year. On a whim, I posted the race link on my facebook page asking if anyone wanted to run it with me next year. A friend commented and asked if I would consider doing the half.

Commence inner dialogue:
Huh? The half? No, I can't.... wait. Why can't I? It would be good to check out the course since I am planning on running the full. *checks training schedule* Oooo... I'm supposed to run 13 miles that weekend anyway...

10 minutes later a registration confirmation pops up in my inbox.

Sometimes, I wonder how these things happen.
 

Recipe Review: Green Monster Spinach Smoothie

I've gone green. 

I was rambling around on pinterest this weekend when I came across this recipe for a Green Monster Spinach Smoothie. I would not call myself a healthy eater. I'm not bathing in fast food or anything but I definitely don't eat as well as I should. I'm getting better about fruits but am terrible with vegetables. I even like vegetables; they just never make it to my mouth.

So, when I found this easy-peasy recipe for a drink that I could make in my own kitchen - with ingredients I already have on hand - I figured why not? If anything, the experiment would make for a good blog post.

In the blender went peanut butter, vanilla greek yogurt, vanilla soy milk, a sliced banana, and 2 1/2 cups of baby spinach. I must admit, I was a little dubious. First of all it's green. I haven't drank anything green since I was a kid and used to add food coloring to my milk. It smelled yummy though. I blended and blended and then poured the contents into my mug.

 First sip. "Mmmmm...not bad. Can't taste the spinach at all, really." Next sip. "Oooo banana!" Next sip. "Vanilla, banana, spinach... oh my!" The clincher was when my 2 year old daughter had a taste, and while licking her lips, said "I want some more."

The Green Monster Spinach Smoothie passed the taste test. Now, would it pass the "last to lunchtime" test? It would be silly to drink my breakfast only to be hungry two hours later.

I had my smoothie at about 9 am. By 12:30 I was starting to get hungry. Not starving, no rumbly tummy, just hungry. That's a win in my book.

I don't know that I will make one everyday but its nice knowing there's an easy way to get a vegetable into this body.

I think I'm going to reward myself with a cookie for my new healthy attitude.

Green Monster Spinach Smoothie
1 frozen sliced banana 
1 Tablespoon peanut butter 
1/2 cup 0% Vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt 
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (or other kind of milk) 
4 cups baby spinach (or more, or less) 
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

the one where my own words come back to haunt me

While sitting at the dining room table, I said to my 4 and a half year old son (for the hundredth time),

"W, please eat your food."

"No, I can't."

"Ok, well then no M&M's, and Daddy's not going to be able to share his brownie with you."

"Mom, get a grip."

I dropped my fork and looked away, undecided whether I was livid or going to wet my pants.

My husband disciplined him and W was excused from the table.

*sigh*

Just another day.