Tired Girl...

I honestly can't remember the last time Julia fell asleep on my chest, so when she did the other day I immediately asked Tom to take a photo! Julia is such a big girl now, we only get very brief, but sweet, moments of cuddling with her. She's constantly busy doing something, running from one thing to the next, and usually only pauses long enough for us to get a quick hug or kiss in! We love her rough and tumble, 100 MPH, personality, but we certainly enjoy quiet moments like this :).

Week 9 - 10 Mile Run

This week I think I was supposed to run 12 miles for my long run, but with everything going on, I think I could only, mentally and physically, handle about 10 miles this morning. It was a sad run too, since it was the last long run I will be able to do with my usual group of folks, since next weekend we'll be in Illinois! Next weekend I think I'm supposed to do 16 miles, which should be interesting! I've decided to invest in a Garmin GPS watch once we arrive in the States as well. They're pretty spendy, but running by myself in a new area is a good combination for getting super lost. Not something you want to do on a 10+ mile run. Or any run, for that matter!

Also, I realize my posts have been seriously lacking in Julia photos, so the next few posts will be totally dedicated to her :).

Week 8 - 20K Race!

This weekend, five of us (one's taking the photo) went to a 20K (12.4 miles) race in Rheinzabern (about an hour away). We really just wanted to do if for "race practice", but I really did it so I'd be forced to get the miles in! I was pretty set on doing my 10 min. pace, but with so many other people, it was hard to get into a good groove. I ended up getting way too warm, and carried my sweatshirt for at least 5K, then was able to drop my warm-up pants and sweatshirt by the car we all came in, since the race was a big loop we had to do twice. I also got passed by many old Germans! That was humbling. I did meet my goal though - I finished! My time was about 1 hour and 59 minutes, so I was just under my 10 min pace the whole time.

I felt guilty leaving Tom and Julia for most of the day while I was at the race, but I know that for me, running is a big de-stressor, and is really how I get my "me-time" in. For some people it's reading, or chatting with girlfriends, or cooking, but for me running is definitely how I deal with whatever stress or anxiety I have. I guess choosing to train for my first marathon during a big move was actually a good thing! My hope though, is that I'll be able to keep training after we've moved - it'll be challenging to motivate myself for that first long run (I think it's supposed to be 15 miles!).

Sewing Projects I'm planning...

This is yet another no-photos-of-Julia-more-for-my-planning-sanity post of all the sewing projects I have in my head that I want to start once I get my sewing machines out of their boxes:

• Yellow linen pillow covers for living room
• Queen-size quilt for Tom and me
• Pretty-as-a-picture dress for Hannah
• Grocery bags
• Camera strap covers (for Robin, Teri, Jordan and me!)
• Noah's Ark wall hanging for Julia's room
• Big fabric alphabet and numbers for Julia
• Cloth napkins for us (down with paper towels!!! we go through way too many...)
• Curtains for our new house...I'm sure I won't be able to find ones I like, so I'll have to make some...or, I'll realize I don't actually have that much time to sew and settle for ones that are so-so :(
• Doll quilt for Julia (from Anna Maria Horner's book...love her stuff! I just have to splurge for some of her fabric)
• A couple of aprons...maybe for me or to give as gifts
• Long suffering blue and yellow quilt, started literally about 6 years ago...

Week 7 - 12 Miles...again

This Saturday I was supposed to run 13 miles, but "only" ended up running 12 because of my knee. The group switched up the route a bit, which was nice, since the loop we've run several times already was getting veru monotonous. I did run faster on Saturday than I usually do, but only because I was trying to keep up with the group. We had a long run in a new area on Tuesday and I got horribly lost, then people were driving around trying to find me, and I ended up running 1-2 miles more than I intended. So...after that adventure, I told myself it'd be worth it to run faster and not get lost than to be comfortable and run way more than I was prepared to. It was actually very chilly (I think below freezing), so most of the way all I thought about was a toasty shower. This was the first run I brought water and energy gel (and a phone and maps...) on, but I ended up only having a few sips of water. Other than that, thankfully, it wasn't very eventful! Next weekend the group is running a 12 mile race, but I think I'm going to try to do 13 miles on my own. We're getting a rental car next weekend and giving back the car we've borrowing, so our weekend is being taken up a lot by that.

Pigtails for Gramma and Papa

At Gramma and Papa's request - here's a couple photos of Julia in pigtails! She sometimes likes getting her hair done, but most of the time I just have to gingerly chase her around while I try to put it up ;).

Week 6 - 12 Miles

I decided to write about my long runs...if not for everyone else's entertainment, for my own sake...

This morning we all planned to run 12 miles, and I told Tom as I left for the gym, "If no one else shows up, I'm getting coffee and coming straight home!" The whole drive to, hopefully not, meet everyone, I was worried about my knee. I know I have "runners knee", which is basically where your knee gets "off track" and your knee cap grinds against your cartiledge, enciting varying amounts of pain as you sit, walk, run, or especially, go down stairs. One of the guys I'm running with suggested using kinesio tape, so I taped up both my knees this morning, hoping it would alleviate some pain at least.

When I pulled into the parking lot at the gym everyone was already there waiting in the 35 degree temps for me! Shucks...as we took off, one of the guys said, I'm sticking with you, my feet hurt so I need to go slow. Ha! Talk about a self-esteem booster :). I am, notably, the slowest out of everyone. So we start out, and thankfully he had a GPS watch (I'm getting one in Illinois!!!), so we were going along at a 8:30 pace and I told him this wasn't going to last...I run 10's. About 3 miles into the run, we had to cross "The River", as we affectionately call it. There's literally a stream that's developed across the major road we run on, and our way around it was gated off this morning, unfortunately. My buddy hopped, skipped and jumped very gingerly over it, but I stopped. Then started overthinking my approach, and just went for it. Phew! Only a couple drops of water on my toes...no biggie.

We picked up another runner around 4 miles who dropped back from the fast guys, and we all stuck together until mile 6. Then, my buddy and I headed back in the same direction we came from. All was well...and then it was time to again, cross over The River. He easily crossed it, but I stopped again, tried finding a narrow spot, and then said, what the heck, I'll just go for it, that worked last time. Oh boy...on my first not so carefully placed step I broke through some ice/slush and was up to my ankle in ice cold water, I gasped and took another couple jumps out of the river. In all my fanfare my car keys and gloves fell out of my pockets and I started laughing hysterically. All the guy watching this unfold could say was "That was epic...". I kept laughing at myself and my soggy shoe for the next few minutes, and then the reality of having to run 3 more miles like this sunk in...yuck.

3 soggy miles later, we crossed over our 12 mile mark and stopped to walk the rest of the way to our cars. I didn't realize how sore my whole lower half was until we actually stopped running and then I realized running 12 miles with someone faster than me might have been a mistake. We finished in 1 hour and 58 mintues, so just under my 10 min. mile pace. My knee actually held up pretty well, but most of my leg muscles ache and even my feet got swollen and are still aching. I have some good quad strengthening exercises I'm going to start doing, since that supposedly helps with sore knees. Whatever works, I'm up for it! So, I think next week is 14 miles...we're getting into major uncharted territory for me, so wish me luck!