2017 (The year of no blogging)

BTW I looked back in MapMyRun (the running app I use to record my runs) and looked to see how many times/miles I ran last year despite never blogging in the year 2017.

So here here are my stats from last year:

Nothing too exciting because I was just floundering around, but 21 workouts that I tracked and a total of almost 50 miles for the year.  :)

You know what?  I'm going to post all of the past years so we can get a big picture here...

Here is 2016: 31 workouts, 78.9 miles :) [no goals or races we moved houses and I got a job at the end of August]

Here is 2015: 24 workouts, 44.4 miles :) [pregnancy followed by childbirth on August 9th] 

Look! I tried to get back to running after having little baby.  I remember that I had a lot of pain in the front of my pubic bone as it knit back together after childbirth.  I also get a bit psycho about having a little itty bitty baby and leaving baby and breastfeeding all the time so I'm not surprised that I didn't run very much.

Here is 2014: 166 workouts, 684.2 miles!!! [lots of goals and races] 

Here is 2013: 89 workouts, 311.7 miles [the year I became mamaK and embarked on this crazy trip as a runner and blogger after postpartum depression with my second child, my job ending and moving "home" in the fall of 2012] 

Big hug to me :) I get off track, things change in my life, but I keep finding my way back home to #running.

Thank you everyone for supporting me on this crazy adventure!

#blogmom #backontrack #running #getfit #MapMyRun

Rain Rain Go Away

Sunday Cross Train:

I missed my Sunday cross train of 30-60 minutes last night.  I got all suited up and right when I was about to go out (even though it had been rainy and raining off and on all day) it started to downpour.  I emptied the dishwasher and still pouring.  I waited for over an hour and finally gave up on the idea at about 8 PM.  I kid you not once I gave up it stopped raining, but by then I was so deflated that I didn't even try to go.  I was just going to go for a walk and I probably should have put my clothes back on and went.  Sigh

OK lets learn from this:  If the weather is poor, like it was today, I need to start planning my workout in the beginning of the day and go when it looks nice while working my other tasks around my workout, NOT waiting until the end of the day and then missing my opportunity to run because the weather is uncooperative in the time I left myself.  OR I could have just gone for a walk in the rain... or on the treadmill in the basement... But I really wasn't feeling either of those options. :(

Saturday Long Run:

I'm proud to report that my long run did happen!

It felt really good and I was thinking about how 1.5 miles for a long run is going to seem like such a treat when my long runs get actually LONG.

(btw I know this is the same outfit I wore on Thursday and, yes, it is clean!)

So that's it for now!  Happy Monday everyone and thanks for reading!

#running #backontrack #longrun #goals #getfit #blogmom

Reading Writing and #Running

Another short 1.5 mile run performed on Thursday!

Nice run on the first day of summer!

So slow, but done!

One quick note about my training:  When I was running before the area that we lived in was almost completely flat.  We now live in a pretty hilly area.  If I go one way from our house I go directly downhill for a quarter of a mile (and then have to run back up that hill at the very end of my runs), if I go the other way within the first half mile there are two hills.  I'm hoping that this will make me a stronger runner but it is absolute torture.  hahaha

Other than the short run on Thursday I have been reading the "Racing Weight" book.  So far I'm working on increasing the "quality" of my diet.  I'm pretty sure I would be completely embarrassed to show you what I have eaten daily for the past year.  I've fallen into the pit of chips and chocolate, and more beers and wine than I needed to enjoy.  The result is that I'm carrying around 15 pounds more than I EVER let myself carry and 25 more than my typical "goal".  After Jeremy I got down "easily" to under my typical goal.  After Darren it took longer, but I made it briefly to my goal, but then gained about 8 pounds while I was training for my marathon (I guess this is a rookie nutrition mistake).  Since having Andrea I have "tried" and not really actually tried to get there and have only made it to within 10 pounds.  She is almost 3!  Yikes.  

I think "Racing Weight" is a great book because it is based on scientific experiments and does a nice job of explaining things in detail.  One thing that I thought was important for me is that he says that as people gain weight as they age their goal weight changes.  This is pertinent to me because lately I've been like, maybe my goal isn't really realistic (now that I'm a sluggy mom) and I should set the bar a bit heavier, but I guess we shouldn't do that.  So instead I'm going to need to beat my bum into shape and still try to get to my original goal.  Uggggghhhhh 25 pounds away.  

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

#goals #running #getfit #training

#swimbikemom

I know this is "juvenile"? but OMG the #swimbikemom wrote a comment on my tweet about reading her book!!! 

And if I wasn't so excited I would have taken a screen shot from my phone app instead of taking a photo of my tweet on the computer screen, but Agghh!!

Woot woot! :)

Good Ol' Hal Higdon. My Training Rock.

Diving In

Last week I performed a couple of "test" runs to see if my ankle is in fact healed enough for running.  I'm not technically "cleared" by my doctor to run, but before we realized I had a healing complication my Doc told me how to "test" my ankle for running.

Basically:  Run 5 minutes, wait 24 hours... pain or swelling?  

     If NO, then run 10 minutes, wait 24 hours... pain or swelling?

     If NO, just keep trying a little bit more and waiting at least 24 hours to observe the reaction in my ankle.

My test runs caused NO pain or swelling.  In fact, I think it feels better since I started lightly running.  YES!!!

So of course my next step is to get a training plan in place and get a race under my belt.  I am particularly keen to do this so that when the fall semester starts back up hopefully I will keep at my training and not get completely engulfed by my job and give up again.

The very first time I signed up to run a 5K, back when I was a grad student at the University at Buffalo I found the "Novice 5K" training plan that Hal Higdon had at his web site online.  Since then I have used his plans to complete numerous 5Ks, a 15K, a half marathon and a marathon.  They have never let me down!

It's time to get back out onto the road and get my running base started, so back out comes the Novice 5K training program!  And just my luck, the first true training run starts on a Tuesday so I didn't miss one! HAHAHA

His training programs can be accessed here.

Here's my 5K Novice training program:

1.5 miles in the books!  I'm training for a race again (now I just need to find a race)!!!

I put my RoadID back on!  Now to find my heart rate monitor... Hmmmmm 

Thanks for reading! :)

#bloggingmom #halhigdon #running #goals #RoadID

MamaK is trying to blog with bowling ball baby on her lap... :P

Father's Day Camping and Triathlons!?!?!?

Happy Father's Day (late)!

Our little tribe of 5 spent the weekend at another of our favorite camping spots Cole's Creek State Park.  I think it has the best beach sand.  :)  The campground is only 30 minutes from our house making it a great destination for "last minute" camping.  Even though we only decided that we would camp at the beginning of the week, we got a beautiful spot right on the water!

I took a quick bike ride (small exercise win!) pulling Andrea in her bike trailer.  Other than that Tom and I spent most of the time helping the kids on the playground/swing set and trying not to freeze playing in the water with them.  It is official: our kids are polar bears!  Also, I was exhausted from pushing the kids on the swing! Ugh!


I'm really trying to get my goals in order as I finish up my convalescence from my broken ankle.

This is what I'm realizing: 

When I could move over the past two years, I didn't exercise very often or consistently...

When I broke my ankle all I wanted to do was get up and do all the things I had taken for granted...

I'm reading some great books and looking up articles and asking for advice from some of my other active friends.  I'm also trying to find time to write in my blog again (HAHA it looks like short posts are the way to go)!

So here are a few things I have been reading:

Also...

So far I have read about half of "Triathlon for the every woman" by Meredith Atwood (and I LOVE it and can totally relate to it) and half of "Racing Weight" by Matt Fitzgerald.  I have not started "Slow Fat Triathlete" by Jayne Williams.  The other "Swim Bike Mom" is a print out of a sprint triathlon training program.

From this you can deduce that I am interested in triathlons and either being fat or how not to be fat... 

You may have noticed the interest in running weight.  This is something I have never really discussed in my previous posts and I'm not trying to make a big thing out of them, but I know that I want to do some serious running in my future and the "racing weight" book is to help me really understand feeding an endurance athlete properly and the "fat triathlete" book is about just getting out there now, not when you lose ___ number of pounds, which is great, because I'm a bit puffy about the middle and the back side hehehe.  

That's it for now!  Trying to wrap these up quickly so that the kids and husband don't get too tiffy about me being on the computer. :P

Thanks for reading!  :)

#Running #swimbikemom #racing #goals #getfit #triathlon

Holy Cow, where did almost two years go!!!???

I don't even know where to begin...

The past two years went by in the blink of an eye.  I fell almost completely out of the athletic life that I had built for myself.  I have dabbled here and there with sporadic exercise, but I've been completely without direction and no focus at all.  I'm almost embarrassed to keep using the blog after not using it for so long.  But being embarrassed about stuff instead of moving forward isn't really my thing, so I'm back!!!

What I HAVE been doing: (with pictures) 

1) I have been building up my professional career again.  I mentioned in my previous post in August of 2016... almost TWO YEARS ago that I was getting a job and moving to a new house.  The job has been going very well!!!  Unfortunately, during the semester I have completely submitted myself to the job and forgotten about myself.  I'm in love with my job.  I hope I can keep my job for a long time.  I get to work with some amazingly friendly co-workers and my students are great :)  I do, however, need to work on pacing myself and not forgetting that I need exercise!

That's me in my office looking all Dr. Potter and professional!

I love getting to "dress up" and share my passion for biology with my students.

And I'm really enjoying helping our kids explore STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)  Here we are with the projects they have done over the last two years at their school.

May 2018

May 2017

2) We moved into our dream house!  We have a 4 acre mowed lawn, and a 14 acre hay field behind our house that our farming neighbor bales and generally takes care of.  We can't really see our neighbors, but we aren't stranded and too secluded.  We also have some absolutely beautiful trees and ornamental gardens.  I love to garden, so I'm in heaven.  The view out of every window is superb!

 Bird feeders, clothes on the line, kids playing kick the ball into a hockey net :P

 Our first pumpkin patch! 

The front entry is so pretty :) 

Especially in the winter! 

Ample places for playing for the kids and parents! 

Pass-thru to our neighbor's sheep farm.  A peek up to our house.   

Even our 13 year old cat enjoys all of the deer, turkey, bird, squirrel, and chipmunk watching! 

Even a cute little frog pond.  Ahhhhhhh :)

3) Camping.  This is the third summer that we have had our 20 foot trailer camper.  As a family we LOVE camping in our camper.  We try to get out camping at least two weekends a month when it is nice.  Last summer we upgraded our family to a full-sized-cab truck as our family vehicle. 

With the better towing power we have been able to travel farther to camp and go into the #Adirondacks.  We absolutely love #FishCreekPond just north of Tupper Lake, NY. 

 I love Fish Creek because almost every single camping site is right on the water with your own access point (I hope we get a canoe or kayak soon!)

Tom and I are also huge fans of Eaton Lake in Long Lake, NY because we camped there many times before having kids.  Both of these parks are State Parks in New York State.  We are so happy that our children love to camp as much as we do!

4) I broke my first bone (other than toes)!  This February I twisted my ankle very badly in our snow and ice packed driveway and it turned out that I had broken the bottom of my fibula (the small outer bone of your lower leg). 

It was a spiral fracture, meaning I pretty much twisted the bottom of my fibula right off when I fell.  Take it from me it was surprisingly, excruciatingly painful!  Breaking a bone in your lower extremity is also EXHAUSTING.  I was put into a walking boot.  It was a hard plastic shell that went up to my knee and all the way to my toes.  I was thankful for this over a plaster cast because I was able to remove it to bathe and wiggle my toes and then strap it back on to a comfortable snug level.  I used crutches for two straight weeks.  I cannot believe how weak arms are compared to legs.  I was so relieved when I started putting pressure on the leg and decided I didn't need the crutches anymore.  Also, with 3 young children (7, 5, and 2) this was a difficult time for our family.  Tom really stepped up and did a lot of the chores that I take care of 100%.  I'm so blessed!

I went into an ankle brace after 4 weeks of the walking boot.  It was surprising to see just how quickly my lower leg and foot had lost their muscle tone.  It was mostly difficult to walk because I had no strength in my calf, ankle and foot.  I was still in a pretty good amount of pain, but was ready to start getting back to "regular" life.  At 8 weeks I was supposed to be released to physical therapy, but it didn't feel right.  An x-ray and CT scan showed bad news: while the two pieces of bone had connected, the space had been filled with scar tissue (which is soft) and not with bone tissue (which fills up with calcium and turns into very hard bone).  The technical term is "delayed union".  So now we're out to 12 weeks after the fracture (by the time I had the CT scan scheduled, met back up with my doc. etc...).  The next step is to try electrical bone stimulation with a special machine attached to my ankle for THREE MONTHS (only 30 minutes/day).  Yikes.  I really want this to be over.

It took another 4 weeks to get my insurance company to approve the bone simulator (more x-rays and paperwork later). So finally at 15 weeks from the date of the fracture I received my bone stimulator!

It's 6/13 today and I have used my machine 14 times and I feel 95% better!!!!!  I must add that it felt like my bone was actually starting to heal beginning about a month ago (I noticed that I didn't need to walk with a limp), but in just the last two weeks I have seen some amazing changes in my pain level.  I would say that the bone itself is not painful at all anymore!!! I still have pain in the "squishy" parts of my ankle, but that might last quite a long time.  The sale representative for the stimulator told me that they can work very quickly, and I was afraid to dream (it was possible that it wouldn't work and I would still need surgery at the end of 90 days), but it really did!  I still will be using the stimulator for the entire 90 days to ensure full  healing (and avoid surgery 7 months after the initial break!).

So that's what's up for me in general.  In my next few posts I'm going to tell you about my new athletic goals (because obviously I need some!!!)

Thanks for reading! :)

"I get knocked down, but I get up again.  You are never going to keep me down!"
-Chumbawamba, "Tubthumping"

OK, here is a sneak peak of what I would really like to try... or tri... :P