Make Me Smile Monday

It's been a while.....but clearly there is cause for dancing....

Averyisms

Avery: Daddy, I know why you can't taste your poop.
Jon:.....why?
Avery: Because there's no taste bugs down there.

Averyisms

Me: But you, you're Captain America, you aren't scared!
Avery: I'm only pretend Captain America.  I'm not real Captain America.  I'm just Avery Beach!

Me: Avery, how about we go pee-pee before we put our costume on?
Avery: I can't!  Because I'm dead!

Me: You can finish the rest of your homework at school.
Avery: Mom, it's called HOMEwork, not SCHOOLwork.

Jon: Wow, you guys made a big mess in here.
Avery: No, that was just me.

Me: Where do you think babies come from?
Avery: The baby hotel.  A guy there has them and takes care of them.

I am a runner #4

After a few 5Ks (here and here and here) last year, I decided it was time to up my game this fall and try my first 10K run (that's 6.2 miles).

Training: I stuck with my pal (not really my pal) Hal Higdon and his novice 10K running plan.  Check it out in more detail HERE.  This plan followed a general training schedule of long runs on Sundays, a short run once a week, and a medium run that increased over the 8 week plan once a week.  It also recommended strength and stretching and cross-training.

I did almost all of the running on the training plan, but basically none of the cross-training or strength exercises.  This wasn't a disastrous mistake for my 10K, but I'm sure I would have done better with it in, and I'll definitely work on following all of the plan next time.  My longest run was the Monday before the Saturday race, a 5.5 miler.  So, not terribly bad.

Location is also tough for me.  I don't live in a run-friendly area, and to run on base outside, I have to use the track if I want to use headphones.  I tended to just hit the gym and treadmill and knock out some mileage AND watch an episode of Homeland or House of Cards while I did it.  I should probably focus more on outside runs, though, at least for my weekly long runs.

Race:  For the race, I picked the Arundel Fire Department's 5K/10K rescue run in Crofton, Maryland.  This was a great charity to raise money for, and this race raised $10,000.  The equipment of the fire department has to be purchased, so they need a lot of cash (the county will maintain it, however).

It was a nice, cool, but humid day when I got there, and they had everything all set up nicely, including a bagpiper standing in a field.  I got my number (6!) and then saw a former paralegal of mine, so we chatted for a bit.  She was running the 5K, so I was on my own.

Avery had lost my iPod so I had to run with no music, which was not ideal.  The route was through an entire residential area and randomly double backed and crossed paths with the 5Kers.  I basically didn't stop for fear of getting lost and never finding my way out.  It was HILLY.  Ugh, lots of ups and downs.  I only walked for about 30 seconds, at a time when I just COULD NOT GO UP ANOTHER HILL.

I ended up running 57:59 which I wasn't excited or bummed about.  Since it's my first 10K, it's a good starting point for me.  I don't know what is a good/bad score, and I was almost dead in the middle of the entire pack of runners, time-wise (54th out of 100).  The 1st-3rd places in my age group were down in the high 40s, low 50s, so I have an idea of where I would like to get to.

To improve, I'm going to work more on the strength/cross training stuff, and, of course, keep running!

Anyway, another race, and a new distance in the books!  Until next time!!!

Make-Me-Smile Monday!

It's been a while, so we'd just like to say......

How lovely

I'm not a huge Prairie Home companion fan, but every morning, I listen to Garrison Keillor read a poem on NPR and tell me who has a birthday.  There was a poem the other day that was so sweet, I had to share.  It really put things into perspective for me:

One Good Thing, by Edwin Romand

It's been a dead parade

of hours since 5 AM

a march of the bland

with the meaningless and

I can think of nothing

I have done to merit

mentioning or

remembering.

But now, at 8 pm,

I am bathing my son

in a tub filled with bubbles

and blue battleships,

the soapy water over

his Irish white skin

makes him glisten

like a glazed doughnut

and I should tell him

to stop splashing

but this is the first time

all day I have felt like living

so how can I scold

my boy who's found joy

in something ordinary

as water? And when

I wash his hair

with Buzz Lightyear

shampoo, Liam

closes his eyes and

smiles like a puppy

being petted as I massage 

the sweet lotion into 

his red curls and I know

this is one good thing

I have done with my life

this day that has waited

for this moment

of water on my sleeve

and soap on my nose

to turn emptiness

into ecstasy.

Avery-isms

Me: Good night Avery.
Avery: My penis got stuck.  But now it's aaaaaalllllll not stuck.

Me (noticing a basketball game): Avery, what game are they playing over there?
Avery: They're playing shoot!!

Me: (reading from a book) You should remember that God loves you, so if you feel too young or too small to do something, God will help you.
Avery: God is our best friend.
Me: That's right!
Avery: He's the president.
Me: Um....ok.

Avery: Mommy, see that sign? (deer crossing sign) It says watch out because you don't want to hit the reindeer running across the road.

Avery: Mommy, why is your hair so long?
Me: Because I let it grow.
Avery: JUST LIKE ELSA SAYS!  LET IT GROW!