HAPPENINGS AND PHOTOS

This week has been a little nutty with the Memorial Day Holiday. However, despite the holiday, Pigeon and I met for our usual Monday hill repeats workout. I was not feeling 100% at all. I told her when she arrived that I was not quite sure what the run would bring, however I ended up surprising myself. I managed four long repeats and four short/fast repeats.

Squeaker has a cold and I do think I am fighting whatever it is she has combined with lack of sleep. This week I have been dragging. My energy levels are zero and I am finding myself extra tired in the afternoon.

I also think I am dreading Friday's run. Friday I am scheduled for 20 miles and thus begins my taper. However, Friday is also the Peanut's Pre-K graduation ceremony followed by a day that is set to be about 99 degrees outside. Combined with my lack of energy lately and my intense ankle pain, I am just not so sure what to expect. My plan is basically to see how I feel. If my energy is low I am not going to push myself. If my ankle is excruciating, I am not going to push it. The heat I can handle if I am well fueled and have enough water/electrolytes with me. In the past, if I avoided 20 miles in my marathon training ... the marathon itself did not turn out so well.

I know that I have not been following my training plan to a "T" and that exceeding my PR is not exactly likely right now. I am okay with that. My marathon falls on a vacation week and I want to be able to finish, finish healthy and strong in front of my kids and also be able to enjoy the rest of the week without too much pain. Of course deep down I want to PR, who doesn't? Yet, I have so much going on personally right now that I am okay with just running 26.2 miles and finally having that out of state marathon under my belt.

Also on tap for this weekend is the NIKE Women's Fitness Festival. This is one of those races where you are highly competitive ... with yourself. I've run this race in 2007 (before the Peanut was born), 2009 (a year after the Peanut is born) and in 2010 (shortly before finding out Squeaker was on her way). Here are the results of those races:

NIKE Women's Fitness Festival

06.10.07 7:21 22:51

06.07.09 7:14 22:27

06.06.10 7:17 22:35

When I sat down and looked at my training plan for the week, I have my 20 miles on Friday, followed by a speed workout on Sunday. So really, Sunday's 5K should be viewed as just a regular speed day but I know myself and I know I will want to do really well at the NIKE Women's Fitness Festival HOWEVER I just read online that there is a new course this year. Hmmm, so any result will not be typical rriiiiggghhhttt?

Enough running chatter ... time for a bunch of over due photos of what has been happening lately in the Trailmomma house. *As a side note, Vans and I have MobileME which has the PhotoStream capability. Every once in a while I will go and check our photo stream ... and these are the types of things I find.

See! She does sleep ... who doesn't love a snoozing baby photo?

She also LOVES to eat

Chillin' at the park ...

While big sister practices her moves

Dad (and family) are proud of his dad-made garden of basil & tomatoes

(Van's not only planted the garden but he made the whole thing from scratch)

Crazy weather in EDH makes for great rainbows

We finally found another use for the extra wine barrel

and the extra umbrella we had (ps: this is my new favorite addition to our back patio)

We had some friends over to christen the pool ... even if they swim in snow-suits

Squeaker is a bonafide dare-devil

Sisterly-CHEERS

Sisterly games: Hula Hoop!

Someone is approaching her birthday month!

Finally, this is what happens when you remove the crib mattress in an effort to lower the crib (ahem, because someone is trying to climb out) ... and have it on the floor ... Squeaker would climb on top of her mattress, bounce on her bottom until she somersaulted off of it. She would laugh and then repeat the process ... over and over again.

These girls are never boring that's for sure.