NYC 2012...Here I come!

Looking forward ...

to starting

to choosing a plan.

 to have the feelings of excitement mixed with nerves. 

I can't wait...

 to see the people.

 to hear the people

to have the chance or possibility to meet or see some of the runnerss I look up to

I am very excited..

can you tell?

Mistakes=Learning

The last post where I complained about that "funky" run and how I was all disappointed....well lesson learned and I love every minute of it.  I think the best part of all races is the training you go through FOR the race.  I learned a valuable lessons with those two runs...

*1 You can hit the wall on a training day. You don't just hit it in a race.

*What you put into your body is what you get out....literally and figuratively.  I didn't prep for that difficult pace run. I just expected my body to do it because I pulled out a half the weekend before.  IT JUST DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.  I really love these lessons..and I annoyingly use them everyday in my classroom.  I mean isn't it the truth of life.  You get what you put into it?  I took advantage of my body and it said "Yeah?! Ya, think?  I think NOT."  I was so glad to even be able to recognize this and not stay in my funk...blogging about it helped that.  Plus it didn't help when these little green monsters knocked on our door with their "thanks for giving" delivery!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Buyer Beware!

*A lot of comments mentioned that I shouldn't be running that much...but honestly...I promise...it IS what the program said.  It IS why I ran 14 miles on Sunday and then went walking around Epcot with my family.  What isn't it the program that I made a mistake with is running it at my hardest...I am supposed to run a certain pace though....which is what I am still learning working my ass off to try and figure out .  This pace stuff is hard work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I had a hard time regulating my pace so ran pretty fast in the start and then bonked in the miles I always bonk in...8-10. 



*  I also realized that you have to choose one goal at a time...or prioritize a few.  I can't beat myself up for time when I am still working on not stopping. I really liked when I read in "Train Like a Mother" (highly recommend), that they describe their goals as good, better and best. 
good- being a time goal
better-how you run the race...form, mental toughness, focus
best- finishing! and reminding yourself you are doing what only 4.2 percent of Americans have the motivation and courage to do (FROM TRAIN LIKE  A MOTHER)

So training continues and it HASN'T gone as perfectly as I have planned...but I can't and won't expect it to.  I'm a mom, a teacher and a wife...and a homemaker, and a therapist...and....and....you get the point.  I hit a PR which is huge for me and I will make that sub 2 goal...if not in May...then by September.  I think we all learned a valuable lesson from all those troopers that ran Boston...life, mother nature happens...a good runner rolls with it!

One day a PR, Next day I'm WALKING home? Help WANTED

I need help, advice, a kick in the ass....I'm willing to take anything if it helps.  All I know is today I made, what I think, is one of the worst mistakes...I quit.  I did.  I went out to do a mid-tempo run and just downright stopped and walked home after the second mile. 

I just PR'd with a 2:01:20 this weekend in Atlantic city...which I am super excited about....the frustrating part is that I have my eyes set on a sub 2.  Yes, now you can see the problem.  During that beautiful AC run, yours truly stopped at least 6 times.  Not long but certainly long enough to call it a stop. 

Very long and complaining story short, I need to build the mind and I need your help!
Here are some of the facts:
* I felt great after the 1/2- no soreness which was weird for me.
* Rested and did nothing for two days.
*Trying to hit an 8:57 for a mid-tempo run.  (I'm wondering if I'm going out too fast...burning out too quick?)

(ps...to you fast runners...too quick for me and too quick for you are two different things.  Please take that into consideration.  Thanks so much. )

All this going fast stuff is new to me.  I am not good at feeling uncomfortable. 

I need help feeling uncomfortable.  I need push.  I need direction with this...

Feel free to advise....

Yours truly,

The Girl Who Will Think All Day About How She Didn't Finish Her Run.

Mommy Monday

There's been a lot of running going on around here and I will definitely be getting to that and my new PR tomorrow!! Can I get a WOOT WOOT!

but

in the meantime let's talk kids.  I'm not writing this by ANY MEANS to say I know what to do with YOUR child when they misbehave....I am actuallly writing it as a ....holy canoli am I doing this right?????

I will tell you we are on our first go around with my angel Brooke.  You name its new for us in the parenting department.  Brooke is our first and we try our best to figure out what's best for our child...while also trying to be cool, calm and collective.  So first let me preface this with I love my daughter (lmao-too funny that I am starting with that) and she really is nothing less than I would ever ask for in a daughter.   She is 

SWEET

PLAYFUL

FUNNY

and SMART



but in there somewhere...(and I'm hoping in everybody's elses 4 year olds)...

she can be ....a complete HANDFUL!!!

She just likes to CONSTANTLY test us.  It's like god had a private little meeting before she left him and said,

"Ok now Brooke, these parents are new.  Your job is to make sure they know their job.  Test them to their limits.  Throw them for loops.  Make sure they stay up some nights.  Make them talk, discuss and worry.  But in the end don't worry little Brooke, they won't break...they love you.  Good luck." 

Yep, that's what I think happened.  Well today I had to have a little discussion with Brooke.  I had to set hard limits (that was a 50 shades reference...we'll talk about that another time).  Enough was enough.  This was the talk...in a roundabout way. 

Brooke(now not facing me, with her arms crossed).  Brooke the way you are listening to me is not respectful, when you care about people you look at them when they are speaking.  (I let her cry, didn't try to soothe--this I learned because she would sometimes use that to distract and deter).  Mom and Dad love you a lot and for that reason we are going to be changing some rules around here.  Many good things happen when you listen to your parents--and many not so good things are going to happen when you don't.  I can't afford losing you or having something happen to you. Yesterday you had a very difficult time listening to directions and that can't happen....because 
1.  You could have gotten hurt. 
2.  It's disrespectful. 
3.  In life there are rules and you have to follow them. 

and its BECAUSE we love you that we are going to help you follow those rules...

We are counting to 3...without skipping a beat now.  It used to go like this (i'm sure you parents know).....1.................................twooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...............I'm getting to three..you better see that i'm getting to three...are you going to stop....threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. 

When we get to three-- you lose something.  The things you are surrounded by are privledges and you have to earn them.  Good behavior keeps your things but negative will lose them.  (I'm a teacher...I know the negative reinforcement vs. positive...but lets face it.  LOSING HER RAPUNZEL DOLL FOR A DAY  got her attention  way faster and had more of an effect and its based MORE on what she is going to be face with in the real world.  That's not to say I don't use the positive...its my go-to.  But there is a time and place for everything...and losing Rapunzel sometimes needs to happen.) 

You can be upset, you can be angry but through it we are going to love you and help you see that following the rules we be way easier than you think. 

Brooke grunts for me to go away right about now.

I am not going to go away.  I am going to stay with you until you are ready.  Remember that I love you and THAT is why I am doing this. 

and right there my friends is what I think i am trying to say.  Everyday we do things because we love our kids...we want them to have the world, feel loved, to be enlightened, to have friends, loving family, to travel...

But the biggest thing is for us to hold their hand through what they FEEL is tough at the time, to let them know...yes things in life are HARD, that yes sometimes you WILL FAIL....and sometimes I will be the one at the other end TELLING you that it's wrong.....but I do it out of LOVE and the knowing that that is the only way you will make it....and be strong in the end. 

I kept my hand out...and repeated to her I'm still here when you are ready.  She took my hand after about 3 1/2 minutes...(stubborn lil' girl-which I'm sure will help in the future as well ;) 

We walked downstairs...smiling and singing her song. 

Me-  Holy sh*t...I can't believe I just made it through that alive! 

lol

Wordless Wednesday!!!! Is there a problem here??

What my children bring to go sleep

ONE NIGHT

at Grandma and Grandpas house!

Should I contact Hoarders on TLC?

I'm on my way....

...AND I kinda know where I am going...which is a beautiful and comforting thing.  I haven't blogged in a while but time is precious and I have been committed to staying committed to my family, my training and my students.  When the day is done I am finding little time energy to commit to blogging!  I do miss it and have made some plans on how I can fit it in without going nuts!  So, a lot has been going on so get ready for a BBE (bulleted blog entry-yes, i made it up)...and then future and more consistent entries that may make more sense lol..

1. Scott and I have started to train for the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Fredericksburg, VA.  It's really fun and tiring at the same time to start a new program.  We are not using the same program to train and there is a chance that we will not be running side by side for this half.  That may sound weird to some of you but there are a couple of reasons...one being I truly believe your first try at these things are great to do to help you believe in yourself and your abilities.  It makes you realize you are strong enough, you can do it...and I want Scott to understand what I love about all of it.  Second, we don't want to fight lol....  Third, I am trying for a sub 2 and ....don't want to fight.  Nuff' said. 

2.  I'm super excited by how each time I wake up and think "I'm not going to be able to do this workout...its toooo hard!", I get up , try and SUCCEED!  I'm amazed at what my body is allowing me to do...(it is only week 2....we'll see how I feel at week 6-9....)



3.  One thing that is difficult when both parents are training is babysitting!  Scott and I usually go very early and then switch off so this isn't a problem...but on the rare occasion...I make a fort at the track for my kids and they think its the best darn thing in the whole world!

Camp Johnson at the high school track!

4.  We took a mini vacation on my winter recess.  It was nice staying home with the kids and just getting some of the zillion things done that I needed to with the house.  On the tail end we visited Mystic, Connecticut.  It was a very cute, fun and easy trip.  It would have been a bit better if it was warmer but our ferry ride there was not bad at all...it was about 60 degrees that day! 

Team Johnson on the ferry ride!

OK seriously? How do you not want to bite him...
and his choice from the aquarium store!



5.  I just added this because I thought it was hysterical.  I took the kids with me to get a bathing suit for swim class and some running supplies....they really love us running 'women'.

That's all folks!  Promise to post about the training and my upcoming races this week!!!! 

THE WINNER

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 20

That would be lil Miss...On the Right Track!

Please send me your address so I can send it off to Vega! Congrats