And She's Back!

As I mentioned in my last post, life has intervened on my blogging and stress and anxiety have lowered my workout motivation to almost zero. Although a little less zealously, I have continued to run, and I still do yoga, but am more likely to skip a day.

I signed up for fewer races this year, because we have a lot going on and because we are trying to save money (the race fees can add up!). This morning I completed my first 5K race of the season, The Fifth Annual Jack Roth 5K Rock & Run/Walk.

I ran this race last year, with a time of 25:09. I enjoy this race, as it takes place in Bexley - a place I love and where I am moving in a month. It's perfectly lovely to run with a group of people that you know and be cheered on by your (soon-to-be) neighbors and friends. I convinced my husband to walk the race as well, with our youngest two kids in a double stroller (a regular one, not a jogger), and our 6-year-old walking/running herself.

Because of my recent lack of motivation and this being my first race of the season, I had very low expectations. Before the race began, I told my friend that I would only be jogging this one. She distrusted my concept of "jogging" and said she wouldn't start with me, so I started with another friend's husband. When the race began, I realized that I couldn't keep up with him and told him just to go on, and I would jog at my own pace.

Running on the streets is a completely different animal from running on the treadmill - my usual habit. I found myself feeling winded fairly early on, but I just persevered. Since I almost never run outside, though, I don't own any of the fancy gadgets that give you information about your speed, so I never have any idea about what my pace is. I felt like I was moving along fairly evenly, though.

At about mile 2, one of the volunteers shocked me by calling out to me, "Number 2! You're second! The second girl! Girl Power!". I couldn't believe it! Second?! That was definitely the motivation I needed! I wasn't really able to speed up much, but I certainly didn't want to lose that place! I powered it in to the finish line, maintaining that second female finisher position (out of 213 women), coming in twentieth overall (out of 355 total runners). My time was 21:45, at a seven-minute mile pace. That's 3:24 faster than my time at last year's Jack Roth 5K, and 1:44 faster than my personal best for a 5K!!!

After I finished, drank some water and ate a banana, I ran back and caught up with the family and jogged and walked the rest of the way with them. It was wonderful morning, and it has energized me for racing for the summer.

It's a Sunshine Day!

Today was a gorgeous day in Columbus, Ohio. My kids and I were able to take advantage of the terrific weather and spend some time outdoors on the playground. Because of our schedules today, I wasn't able to get to the gym. However, it was fun to get in some physical activity by playing the playground funnel ball game. It was a wonderful reminder that exercise doesn't have to take place in a gym.

On the playground, this is a fun game to play with your friends. It involves a lot of teamwork and interaction and promotes socialization. I was playing by myself (and with my one and a half year old) so I was running, throwing, and catching. The game helps build hand-eye coordination and is a confidence builder for those kids who are not super talented at basketball (like me!)

Sledding

Columbus, OH is in the midst of a gigantic snowstorm right now. We had about seven inches of snow today, on top of another eight or so that fell last week, and we're expecting more tomorrow.

Although school was not cancelled today (but probably will be tomorrow), the kids (and me) have a big case of cabin fever from not being able to run around outdoors.

I never take the kids' sledding - daddy's job! - but since my husband was gone today and this evening for work, I decided to bite the bullet and take the kids out for my very first sledding experience.

Luckily, the temperature was not terribly frigid (24 degrees, how sad that I don't consider that too cold). We got all bundled up and went out to the nice little hill behind our house. The kids were great troopers. They trudged through snow up to their knees and scrambled up the hill to the top. We spent about a half hour sliding down and climbing up. Surprisingly, I didn't hate it! The kids were squealy and giggly and adorable and we had a great time.

Sledding burns approximately 315 calories an hour, so it was also a nice little workout too.

Today's workout:

48 min. run w/ intervals (5.75 mi)

30 min. resistance training

30 min. sledding

60 min. yoga

Fitting in Fitness

I have noticed lately that several of my acquaintances have complained that they don't bother working out at their gyms because the child care is constantly calling them because their children are crying or have a dirty diaper, or need some other kind of additional attention. They say it isn't even worth going to the gym because their workouts are interrupted.

It's true that the child care can be difficult to manage. With three small children (ages 5, 4 and 1 1/2), I have definitely had my own issues with the babysitting services at a number of gyms. However, because fitness is a priority to me, I made sure that I chose a gym with the best child care facility available. The hours are lengthy, the facility is clean, there are age-appropriate toys and play spaces for different ages, and it is well-staffed by competent people. Still, I get called away from my exercise at least once a week to tend to the needs of one of my children. Sometimes, I am able to return to my workout, and at other times, my plan has to be cut short.

Even though this can be frustrating, it is certainly not a reason to give up exercise. Making your physical fitness a part of your daily routine sets an excellent example of healthy lifestyle for your children. The more often you go to the gym, your children will become acclimated to the child care center and less apprehensive about being left while you exercise. They may even make friends, and find fun activities in which to participate.

The truth is, even if your workout is cut short, you at least get some physical activity in. Rather than giving up, make an attempt to go every day for two weeks. It will get a little easier every day. Soon going to the gym will become a part of your and your children's daily life. Don't get discouraged by small setbacks ... keep going!

Today's workout:

45 min. run (5.58 mi)

30 min. resistance training

A Big Day for my Big Girl

So sad! My middle child celebrated her fourth birthday this weekend, but unfortunately, our memory card on our camera malfunctioned and almost none of the photos that I took were able to be uploaded onto the computer. So frustrating ... oddly enough, the same thing happened when my son was born. Why doesn't the camera break during inconsequential events?!

Anyway, we were able to get a few shots from her day.

G&D were very excited about the day of birthday parties (three parties in total that day!!!!). G wasn't quite convinced about her birthday though:
Mommy: "Happy Birthday!!"
G: "Am I 4?"
Mommy: "Yes!!"
G: "No, I'm not. I'm looking in the mirror and I'm still little!"


R knows his age -- one!!

Finally, at the gym during the party. She had a great time. The kids got to play all kinds of games to start off - balls and hoops and scooters and tunnels.

Note G's shirt -- I appliqued & embroidered the clown myself! I realized at the last minute that she didn't have anything special to wear for her birthday, so I made the shirt to match the clown theme of the party.

Parachute games are always a big hit.
Mackee the clown was awesome. He totally respected G's desire to not have any attention drawn to her and all the kids were enthralled with his act. G's favorite part was when he pulled out the live bunny rabbit at the end of his show! While the kids were eating pizza and ice cream (clown cones, of course!), he made balloon animals for everybody.

She had a really fun day.

Today's workout:
73 min. run (8.29 mi)
75 min. primary series yoga

Weekend with Zippy

My husband took our girls to the annual Father-Daughter ball hosted by their ballet school on Friday night. They were super-excited to get all dressed up and go to a real ball with their daddy. They ate dinner, danced with their friends, had an official portrait taken together, and stayed up way past their bedtimes.

Saturday, I attempted to go to Lifetime Fitness' "yoga marathon" event. Unfortunately, due to poor planning, the event was cancelled, so I took a Pilates class instead. While I liked the class and see it's similarity to yoga, it just isn't the same. I also took advantage of the event cancellation to get a run in as well.

Today, I attended a three hour workshop at Yoga on High entitled, "The Subtleties of the Primary Series". I expected an analysis and breakdown of some of the key poses or sequences in the primary series, but really, we just went through the series slowly ... we held some of the poses for longer than usual, and he added a few hints and tips for getting into the asanas. I thought it would be a bit more in-depth, but it was still a good practice.

A nice weekend with the family, and even though there was too much restaurant dining, I feel good. This week we will be focusing on healthier meals!

Today's workout:
3 hours yoga

With Peace and Acceptance

Yesterday, I read an interesting blog post from Yogic Muse about finding the line between pushing yourself against your limits and not engaging in self-harm. Coincidentally, when I met with my yoga teacher today, she set a similar intention for our practice: focusing on ahimsa. Maria pointed out that ahimsa, the yogic principle of non-harming, starts with ourselves. I tend to be a "Type A" personality and sometimes push myself very hard, and can sometimes push myself too far with regard to the physical aspects of yoga.

As our practice went on, we started working on bhujapidasana. While I can get into this arm balance pose when I am practicing at home, it is not a graceful or flowing process. I sought Maria's advice on getting into the pose more smoothly and possibly some modifications. In any case, while attempting to get into the pose, I fell flat on my face! So embarrassing. Also, it hurt! It seems that in the midst of striving to achieve a difficult posture, I lost sight of our original intention - ahimsa - and my determination to do "better" actually caused me harm.

Maria took this teachable moment to point out the ways that ego can interfere with our practice, and that yoga can be about putting aside the ego. Through yoga, we can become aware of our bodies, and we can accept our bodies for what they can do today. Each day our body may be different, but when I practice yoga, I do so in the present moment, with whatever abilities or limitations I currently possess. Another yogic principle is santosha, or contentment - acceptance of what we have, or who we are.

So, for today, my intention is to practice with both ahimsa and santosha, both on and off the mat.

BTW, the photo above shows my amazing daughters practicing yoga at home with the help of their Yoga Pretzels deck. Love it! (and love them!)

Today's workout:
30 min. run (4.0 mi)
60 min. private session yoga
60 min. yoga @ home

Swine Flu Over the Zippy Nest

My oldest daughter, unfortunately, contracted the H1N1 virus (a/k/a "swine flu"). She has been home from kindergarten the past couple of days and will be again tomorrow.

Luckily, her case seems relatively mild, her fever responds to medication and her mood is generally upbeat. However, I am not used to being confined to our home, and we are both developing some cabin fever.

My running schedule has been thrown completely off, and my husband and I are alternating days when we go to the gym since I cannot go during the day while she is sick. Hopefully she recovers soon, and the other children stay virus-free.

I hope you and your families stay healthy!

Today's workout:
75 min. primary series yoga
20 min. Pilates core exercises

Fantastic Fall Days

It has been a wonderful fall season for our family.

To start off, even though we were a little late, we did get to build our sukkah this year. Last year, we were in Austin for my husband's sister's wedding during Sukkot, so we didn't put it up. The girls were so excited to get it out this year!


As you can see, they were a huge help.
They wanted to eat as many meals as possible in there once it was up. Unfortunately, the weather during Sukkot was pretty crummy this year. We left the sukkah up for a few extra days, and ate in it after the weather turned more pleasant, even though Sukkot was officially over.

Yesterday we celebrated the Halloween with our friends. This was the first year that D&G actually put some thought and creativity in their costumes. Also, we tried to repurpose materials we already had, and make as much as we could. D's costume is from clothes she already had, combined with scarves from her bubbe. We did purchase the "pirate accessories" of course. I made G's clown costume, and paired it with a shirt she already owned. I did purchase the bow. We already had the face painting kit - you may not be able to see it, but D has a skull and crossbones painted on her cheek.
We went to our friends' house in Bexley for trick-or-treating this year. We love going with our friends on Halloween! This is D's friend, who is demonstrating his best ninja pose.

The whole crew (mostly, except for the crying ones). Don't they look great!? This is so special to me, because these kids have been celebrating Halloween together since before their first birthdays - my oldest was six months old in their first Halloween group shot.

And here it is! D is in the carrot (it looks like a pumpkin) costume, on the far right, the one screaming and raising her hand. Not happy. The one sucking his thumb, wearing a devil costume, is the ninja pictured above, and the lion, partially obscured by her dad's arm, is the cheerleader with D in the next picture. The kids are still friends with most of the other babies in this picture too, they just weren't at last night's trick-or-treating.

D was thrilled to see her buds!

The husbands stayed at the house and passed out candy ... and drank beer. Don't judge - we were walking with the kids, carrying our plastic cups of red wine!

We had a great time, and the kids gathered tons of loot. D was a little sad because she lost her hook and her pirate earring, but she got over it. G's clown make-up was completely smeared by the end of the night ... there were a few tears shed, but overall, they had fun!!!

Today the weather was really just perfect. My husband got off work early, my mom came over, and we all just spent the afternoon hanging out in the backyard! G was having fun playing "boat" with Nana.

Don't I have a handsome boy? He looks perfect for fall in his orange shirt amid all the leaves in our backyard.

D's hair was still a little crazy after sleeping on the braids leftover from trick-or-treating the night before. She was having a great time making piles and jumping in the leaves!

I was surprised to find that R can hold his own on the tire swing. He is really starting to get around on the playground - next year he will be all over it!!

I am so blessed with such a beautiful, healthy family! I hope the rest of you are enjoying your fall season as well!

Today's workout: (had to work off that candy, right??!)
45 min. run w/ strides (5.53 mi)
25 min. resistance training
15 min. hill elliptical (1.82 mi)
60 min. yoga

Healthy Decisions

The other evening when I was volunteering for Girls on the Run, we talked about healthy decisions. The girls honed in on micro-choices mostly centered around food ("I only ate 2 Oreos instead of 5"; "Today I ate breakfast, but I usually skip breakfast", etc.), whereas the coaches were attempting to get them to focus on a more holistic view of an entire healthy lifestyle. I got to thinking about some healthy decisions that I hope my children will make during their lifetime:

1. I hope they keep a healthy attitude about food. That is, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, small amounts of "junk" food, keeping portion sizes moderate, not obsessing about food, finding enjoyment in selecting and preparing healthy meals.
2. I hope they integrate physical activity into their daily routine. I hope my daughters and son discover a sport or other physical activity in which they can thrive and practice on a regular basis. I want them to challenge their bodies and find joy in athletic expression.
3. I hope they develop deep and abiding friendships. Sharing your ups and downs with friends is an important part of living a healthy life. I hope all of my children find friends with whom they can laugh, play and explore.
4. I hope they find happiness without the abuse of drugs and alcohol. While I know that experimentation is a part of growing up, and I enjoy social drinking myself, I hope that my children will approach these substances sparingly. There are so many horror stories about binge drinking among college students, and the television show "Intervention" highlights the dispair and heartbreak that drugs can bring to a family. I hope that my children can navigate their teen years and early adulthood without falling prey to these temptations.
5. I hope they use wisdom and restraint with sexual expression. At this point in their young lives, I cringe to even think about them reaching this point in their development where I have to deal with these decisions. But as countless news stories are constantly warning us, children are engaging in a variety of dangerous and promiscuous acts at younger and younger ages. I hope that my children can wait until they have some maturity and discretion before embarking on this chapter of their lives.
6. I hope they will stand up for themselves in difficult situations. That's what all of these healthy decisions come down to, right? I hope that my kids have the strength of character so as not to yield under peer pressure and to derive courage and fortitude from the values they have been taught from their family, their school and their synagogue.

Today's workout:
60 min. hill interval elliptical (5.61 mi)
25 min. strength training
75 min. primary series yoga

Girls on the Run

Today was my first day volunteering as an assistant coach with a wonderful organization, "Girls on the Run". This nonprofit group was founded by Molly Barker, a runner and triathlete.

The organization aims to create "life-changing, experiential learning programs for girls age eight to thirteen years old." The goal of running a 5K race is used as a tool to "encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development" of girls at a critical age in their lives. In particular, GOTR specifically tries to address and prevent key issues like eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem, drug and alcohol problems, and teen pregnancy. Basically, the group uses running as a vehicle to reach out to girls, giving them an outlet for their energy and emotions, and teaching them to accept and love themselves for who they are.

I am very excited to be a part of this organization in Columbus. As a mother of two girls, these are issues that are dear to my heart. On my first day with the group, we spent a great deal of time talking about promises, and what it means to make a promise. We discussed what kinds of promises we should make to ourselves - to respect ourselves and each other. The girls are eager and receptive! We also went out and did three half-mile laps around the pond in front of the Westerville Rec Center. This was quite an accomplishment for several of the girls, and they were so proud of themselves! There were lots of cheers and encouragement and stickers - and a snack at the end! I can't wait until we all run together in the race at the end! Yay!

Today's workout:

40 min. easy run (3.64 mi)

30 min. resistance training

15 min. elliptical

60 min. yoga

Ultimate Mailbox Fitness Challenge

We had a free morning today so the kids and I decided to take a walk. I am always looking for ways to encourage my children to be more active, and they definitely had a lot of extra energy to burn today! Here is the fun activity into which we channeled all that excess energy:

Using mailboxes as landmarks, I designated a different activity to do in between each one. For example, run to the next mailbox/skip to the next mailbox, etc. The kids had a great time and of course, each mailbox was a new race. For my younger daughter, some of the activities were coordination or balance challenges, but she had a great time anyway. If you don't have curbside mailboxes in your neighborhood, you can use driveways or telephone poles or any other regularly occurring marker as the stop/start point.

Here are some suggestions for "mailbox challenge" activities (if necessary, demonstrate - for more laughs and to set a good example, join in on the fun yourself!):

• run
• skip
• hop
• hop on one foot
• march
  
• long jump
• jumping jacks
• lunges
• walk backwards
• side step
• gallop

The possibilities are endless. Get your family outside while the weather is still nice and try a "mailbox challenge" of your own!

Today's workout:
45 min. elliptical hill interval (6.39 mi)
30 min. strength training
60 min. yoga

New Beginnings

Today was D's first day of kindergarten. I always thought that I would be choked up and sad about reaching this milestone, but mostly I found that I am just really proud of how grown-up my daughter is and excited for her to delve into the adventure of REAL school! I don't think she was (is!) truly prepared for how different kindergarten is from preschool, but she will soon find out!As they say - breakfast is the most important meal of the day! If it's a weekend or a special day, Daddy makes it even more special by preparing his special homemade waffles! Yum!
D's school shares the same building as her sister's preschool. Gotta do the obligatory by-the-sign pose, right?
She couldn't wait to get to kindergarten! She didn't want to wait for daddy to meet us, she was rushing to GET IN THE DOOR!!
I think nerves started to set in though, once we actually got in.
She loves having her own cubby. She is also wearing her very own kippah (required for boys AND girls at her school).
Her class is taught by two teachers - Miss Claire teaches general studies and Miss Annelynn teaches Judaics. D loves them both already! Her day today was very short - only an hour and a half. They ease them in, apparently. Their day consisted of learning each other's names, exploring the classroom, and talking about appropriate behavior.
We celebrate the special day afterwards with lunch at Nordstrom Bistro.

And then, since we were there, we bought new shoes!
Today marked another touchstone in Dovi's year - the last day of her horseback riding lessons for the summer.
The lessons were more than just a fun diversion; she acquired real skills. In the beginning, she always rode with the instructor on the back, she is now riding confidently on her own. She can walk and canter the horse, sitting or standing in the saddle. She can steer the horse, get it moving from a stopped position and even get the horse to walk backwards.
Muscles! Taking horseback riding also teaches D responsibility. She doesn't just get to do the "fun" stuff - she is also expected to carry her equipment and gear, help groom the horse, and lead the horse in and out of the stall. These can be hard jobs and I think it's great that she is learning how to get her hands dirty.
Keith is a true cowboy and an excellent teacher. We look forward to taking lessons again next year at Autumn Rose Farms.

I hope today marks the beginning of a wonderful journey for our oldest daughter!

Today's workout:
15 min. stretch
60 min. easy run (6 mi)
25 min. strength training
60 min. yoga

Attitude Adjustment

So, today was G's first day back to preschool! Last year, she HATED going to preschool. She literally kicked, screamed and ran away whenever I dropped her off. We had to firmly close the door behind her everytime I crammed her into the classroom, otherwise, she would grab her coat and be off and running. You could hear her shrieks all through the corridors of the school. So I was quite worried about her reaction this year, especially since she is attending a new school and doesn't know any of her classmates.

Things started off great - she was excited to hear the deejay on Sirius/XM Radio "Kids Place Live" wish her a good first day at preschool, mention her by name, and play her favorite song, Laurie Berkner's "Mouse in my Toolbox." She insisted I take this picture of her getting out of the car. She doesn't look too worried about going into preschool, does she?
She is proudly displaying her Dora the Explorer book - carrying books and magazines around has replaced her previous obsession with carrying a purse around. But she's still smiling - that's what's important!

She refused to have her picture taken next to her classroom door - that's my daughter I know and love, obstinate to the core.

Still smiling and fairly friendly with her new teacher.

"See you later, mom!" WHAT?!!? Whose kid is this? No tears! No sadness! No hanging onto my leg! I can't even believe it! But ......... what will she look like when I come and pick her up?
Riding a kiddie roller coaster on her classroom playground is what she looked like. Having a ton of fun and didn't even run to me to leave (as she did last year as soon as she saw me). She even wanted to play more before she left. Wow. I'm so impressed.

She taught me a lesson today about expectations. I have been very stressed about all the changes in our lives. Seeing G tackle this new and unknown place with such a positive attitude helps me realize that I should be setting the positive example, instead of learning it from my three-year-old daughter. The fact that she can completely adjust her outlook and behavior, even in a new environment, gives me reason to adopt a more constructive approach myself. I was so proud of her today for growing and changing and thriving! I hope I can continue to modify my attitude to match the positive tone that she has set.

"Yoga inspires change. It's a tool to help you drop negative habits and adopt helpful ones, to embrace whatever the present and future hold....you must assess what you're hiding from and be willing to change." (Max Strom)

Today's workout:
50 min. VO2 max interval run (5.29 mi)
60 min. ballet body class
60 min. yoga

Racing with the Fam

Today I ran in the "Panerathon" 5K, a race benefiting the Children's Hunger Alliance. I went in knowing that my training of late has not been as intense as usual, due to my getting through a case of shingles (yuck). So, my goal going in was to come in faster than 25:00 - and I met that goal! So, even though I was 27 seconds slower than my last race, my finish time was a respectable 24:07 -- not amazing, but not too bad either. I was third in my age group, 76th overall.

The race itself was fairly large (560 runners), and many of the runners were quite fit and FAST! I was passed by many runners at the start of the race, but I found my pace and was able to maintain a fairly quick pace through the first two miles, and felt good. Unfortunately, though, I definitely started to feel it in that last mile.

Today was a fun day though - the family came and watched me run! There was even a kids' run in which D decided to participate.
Here are all the kids lined up and ready to go ... D is in the middle of this melee.

She was very excited before the race started. She told me, "Sometimes I get tired when I run, and then I have to walk." I told her that was OK.
And she's off! That's D on the far right.
D ran fast! It was billed as a quarter mile fun run, but that was the shortest quarter mile ever! It was more like a quarter of a quarter-mile (or, as my husband says, an eighth of a mile).
Afterward, she got a medal. She was very proud of herself, and we were proud of her too! I thought she would be excited about the medal, but she whispered to me, "Mommy, EVERYBODY got a medal." I guess she realizes what Dash in the Incredibles movie realized when told that everyone is special: "which is another way of saying no one is."
While I was running, D&G visited the various booths around the area, including the SWAT team (note the helmet and goggles), firefighters, Columbus Zoo, Ohio Wildlife Center, the Blue Jackets, Columbus Crew and others. A great time was had by all!