Jason had a great day at the mini-champ swim meet today. He beat all of his previous best times, some by quite a bit. He also had a great attitude and worked hard today. Unfortunately, his Medley relay was disqualified for a 1 hand touch on the breaststroke. Jason swam the first leg (50 backstroke) and looked really, really good. He was ahead by more than half the pool when he finished. If he had swum like that yesterday, he would have placed higher in the 50 back, I'm sure.
8th out of 74 in the 25 Backstroke (improved 1.17 seconds and earned a ribbon)
15th in the 100 Freestyle (improved 2.06 seconds)
21st out of 65 in the 25 Butterfly (improved 4.05 seconds)
26th out of 74 in the 50 Freestyle (improved 1.62 seconds)
Before the swim meet, I got outside for a run today. I'm very glad I went out. However, I certainly could tell that I am dieting. I didn't have near the stamina I usually have and was just plain out of gas through most of it. I ended up walking quite a bit off and on. I couldn't even run 2 miles non-stop. I started the walk/run thing at about 1.5 miles. To make up for the lack of constant running, I stayed out there longer than intended. My miles were 11:58, 12:43, 12:10, and 13:05. Then I walked another half mile to put the distance at 4.5 miles in an hour. My 5K was 37:49. Ouch. I'm not going to be too disappointed though. I'm glad I got out there and have been doing well at the weight loss thing, so all-in-all it was a good day for me too.
My family is also pulling for my grandmother to have a good day. She is in the hospital with a pretty bad case of pneumonia. We've kept up on her progress which seems to change daily. Yesterday she was doing great but today things are a little dicey again. Go Grandma! Kick this thing!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Jason's Day 1
I guess the breaststroke is our big improvement stroke this season. Today Jason took 3.19 seconds off in just 25 yards! That's impressive! Last weekend Val slaughtered her previous breaststroke times, too. And I obliterated my breast cancer. It's 3 up and 3 down!
Below are the events Jason swam today, how he placed, and how he did relative to his best time:
I've been doing better with eating and exercise the past few days and continued the trend today despite eating at my favorite restaurant after the meet tonight (El Vaquero). I had a salad but drenched it in their incredible salsa, so I'm sure it defeated the purpose of eating lettuce. However, forgoing the flour tortillas and fried food had to help my plight. I didn't eat even one chip the whole time there. And I had water instead of a margarita.
Below are the events Jason swam today, how he placed, and how he did relative to his best time:
- 11th out of 73 in 50 Backstroke
He swam .66 seconds slower than his best time, but placed better than he was ranked (11th instead of 12th), earned points for his team, and got a ribbon for 11th place - 16th of 43 in 100 IM
Jason swam 1.84 seconds better than his previous best time - 28th out of 75 in the 25 Free
Jason swam this event .34 seconds slower than his best time, but it was in the midst of drama. He got confused and swam in the wrong heat, though they got the results altered immediately so it didn't affect the meet or other swimmers. Jason was very upset. - 41st out of 58 in the 25 Breaststroke
He swam 3.19 seconds faster than his previous best time. Jason's breaststroke used to be a major liability and he would get disqualified most of the time. Now he has a legal breaststroke and that's the most important thing for this stroke this season. He also is getting faster each time he swims it. - 6th out of 20 in the 200 Free Relay (Jason swim the first leg)
I've been doing better with eating and exercise the past few days and continued the trend today despite eating at my favorite restaurant after the meet tonight (El Vaquero). I had a salad but drenched it in their incredible salsa, so I'm sure it defeated the purpose of eating lettuce. However, forgoing the flour tortillas and fried food had to help my plight. I didn't eat even one chip the whole time there. And I had water instead of a margarita.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Walking
I got out of a meeting early today and I was starving. Since it was mid afternoon, I didn't want to eat anything (I had a light lunch at 11am) so I thought if I worked out it might help me get past the hungry stage. I know when I'm home and tired or hungry and I go out for a run, I often get past it without resorting to taking a nap or eating too much and blowing the weight loss process.
I wished I'd brought my workout stuff so I could take advantage of the unexpected time. Then I figured that I didn't have to be so constrained. It was Friday. I was in jeans and my trail running shoes. So I decided to go to RPAC to walk around the track. However, the Big 10 Men's Swimming Champs are going on at that location and parking is at a premium, so I went to the OAC (Outdoor Adventure Center) instead. I had never been there, but it was great. OAC doesn't have a track, but they have lots of machines. I got on a treadmill and walked almost 2 miles in 30 minutes. That got me through to 6pm when I ate dinner. Yea!
While walking I also did some oblique work by exaggerating the twist of walking. After about 20 minutes, my sides got a bit sore where the expanders are attached under my arms, but not too bad. I'm not nearly as sore as I expected to be after doing the ab workout yesterday.
The weight loss thing isn't going that great so far. I'm inconsistent in strategy and not committed enough, I think. I seem to get committed for a few days at a time and then give it all up again. Yesterday and today are good. We'll see if I can keep it going. How do you do that with all the other things competing for your attention and commitment? I know I did it 5 years ago. I should be able to do it again. I need to - my clothes don't fit.
It snowing here and the roads are getting pretty bad. I doubt the weather will cancel Jason's swim meet this weekend, but I'm pretty sure I won't be running outside. I also won't have time to go to OSU for an inside workout. At least I got the walk in today.
I wished I'd brought my workout stuff so I could take advantage of the unexpected time. Then I figured that I didn't have to be so constrained. It was Friday. I was in jeans and my trail running shoes. So I decided to go to RPAC to walk around the track. However, the Big 10 Men's Swimming Champs are going on at that location and parking is at a premium, so I went to the OAC (Outdoor Adventure Center) instead. I had never been there, but it was great. OAC doesn't have a track, but they have lots of machines. I got on a treadmill and walked almost 2 miles in 30 minutes. That got me through to 6pm when I ate dinner. Yea!
While walking I also did some oblique work by exaggerating the twist of walking. After about 20 minutes, my sides got a bit sore where the expanders are attached under my arms, but not too bad. I'm not nearly as sore as I expected to be after doing the ab workout yesterday.
The weight loss thing isn't going that great so far. I'm inconsistent in strategy and not committed enough, I think. I seem to get committed for a few days at a time and then give it all up again. Yesterday and today are good. We'll see if I can keep it going. How do you do that with all the other things competing for your attention and commitment? I know I did it 5 years ago. I should be able to do it again. I need to - my clothes don't fit.
It snowing here and the roads are getting pretty bad. I doubt the weather will cancel Jason's swim meet this weekend, but I'm pretty sure I won't be running outside. I also won't have time to go to OSU for an inside workout. At least I got the walk in today.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Workout progress
I did a shorter run today. I ran for a mile and a half, did a stretching and ab workout, and then ran an additional mile.
Mile 1 was 10:14. The half mile was at a 10:28 pace. After the break for the stretching and ab workout, my additional mile was 10:38.
The exciting news is that I can do my upside-down ab workout and stretching thing again. I lay on my back with my arms holding a railing above my head and then tuck my knees and pull myself up until I'm basically upside down with my shoulders on the ground. Then I straighten my legs. Up and back down slowly. I also move from the upside down position into a pike and put my feet against the railing behind my head to stretch my glutes and hamstrings. I haven't been able to do this maneuver since the surgery.
I did a quite a bit of ab work (I need it badly) and some stretching of my legs. I still can't use my arms to hold my weight, like in a pushup or a plank, actually I probably could for a little while, but I'm not sure my doc would approve. I also would probably pay for it later.
I'm probably going to pay for this workout later anyway. While running the last mile, my left breast was a bit annoyed. Well, okay, it hurt, not all the time, but a few annoying pains had me on guard and stopped me at the mile instead of continuing on for another half mile. I'm sure the pain was from stretching the expanders during the process of stretching and reaching above my head for the railing. I'm hoping the consequences of this workout aren't too troublesome, though. I need to get my core back in some semblance of shape again.
Mile 1 was 10:14. The half mile was at a 10:28 pace. After the break for the stretching and ab workout, my additional mile was 10:38.
The exciting news is that I can do my upside-down ab workout and stretching thing again. I lay on my back with my arms holding a railing above my head and then tuck my knees and pull myself up until I'm basically upside down with my shoulders on the ground. Then I straighten my legs. Up and back down slowly. I also move from the upside down position into a pike and put my feet against the railing behind my head to stretch my glutes and hamstrings. I haven't been able to do this maneuver since the surgery.
I did a quite a bit of ab work (I need it badly) and some stretching of my legs. I still can't use my arms to hold my weight, like in a pushup or a plank, actually I probably could for a little while, but I'm not sure my doc would approve. I also would probably pay for it later.
I'm probably going to pay for this workout later anyway. While running the last mile, my left breast was a bit annoyed. Well, okay, it hurt, not all the time, but a few annoying pains had me on guard and stopped me at the mile instead of continuing on for another half mile. I'm sure the pain was from stretching the expanders during the process of stretching and reaching above my head for the railing. I'm hoping the consequences of this workout aren't too troublesome, though. I need to get my core back in some semblance of shape again.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Evening on campus
I ran outside today on campus while the kids were at swimming. I underestimated the cold but fortunately found some gloves in my daughter's backpack and an ear band in my briefcase. I did a 5K but stopped at 2.1 miles to tie a shoe and took 2-3 minutes to catch my breath (time without motion was off the clock, so I was cheating a little). I was sucking air pretty seriously by mile 2. Actually, in the first quarter mile I didn't think I'd even make a mile with the way my breathing was immediately labored, but I got that worked out for awhile anyway.
My miles were 10:49, 10:50, and 11:05. The 5K was 33:52 (plus 3 minutes of no moment off the clock).
I wasn't really cold with the long sleeve T, tights with shorts over them, gloves, and ear band. However, I wasn't warm to walk. So I took off a little fast, probably to get warm. I didn't take the gloves off until after the first mile and the ear band after mile 2.
So, remember how I was complaining that my running shorts don't fit anymore? The result is that I can get less in the pockets. I started with my phone in one pocket and my keys in the other. Then I had to add gloves. They fit best in one pocket instead of trying to pry open both pockets to accept a glove. The ear band went in the waistband of my shorts when it came off.
At some point, I lost one of the gloves. After the 5K distance, I intended to walk about a half mile, but that turned into 1.5 miles of walking/running to retrace some of my steps to try to find it. No luck. Val took the news well. They were my gloves anyway, borrowed by her because hers weren't meeting the requirements for middle school. Now we both need new mid-/light-weight gloves.
After swimming, I picked up Taco Bell/Pizza Hut for the kids (they had a more healthy snack before swimming) and went into the office. I put Val and Jason in a conference room to do their homework and went to my office for about an hour where I created a document and printed 13 copies of it for an off-site meeting early tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, Val wasn't as productive as I was and she still had homework when we got home. I guess it wasn't too bad, though. She's done now and it's not 9pm yet.
My miles were 10:49, 10:50, and 11:05. The 5K was 33:52 (plus 3 minutes of no moment off the clock).
I wasn't really cold with the long sleeve T, tights with shorts over them, gloves, and ear band. However, I wasn't warm to walk. So I took off a little fast, probably to get warm. I didn't take the gloves off until after the first mile and the ear band after mile 2.
So, remember how I was complaining that my running shorts don't fit anymore? The result is that I can get less in the pockets. I started with my phone in one pocket and my keys in the other. Then I had to add gloves. They fit best in one pocket instead of trying to pry open both pockets to accept a glove. The ear band went in the waistband of my shorts when it came off.
At some point, I lost one of the gloves. After the 5K distance, I intended to walk about a half mile, but that turned into 1.5 miles of walking/running to retrace some of my steps to try to find it. No luck. Val took the news well. They were my gloves anyway, borrowed by her because hers weren't meeting the requirements for middle school. Now we both need new mid-/light-weight gloves.
After swimming, I picked up Taco Bell/Pizza Hut for the kids (they had a more healthy snack before swimming) and went into the office. I put Val and Jason in a conference room to do their homework and went to my office for about an hour where I created a document and printed 13 copies of it for an off-site meeting early tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, Val wasn't as productive as I was and she still had homework when we got home. I guess it wasn't too bad, though. She's done now and it's not 9pm yet.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Three Days in a Row
Val dropped time in everything she swam for three days in a row - the entire Regionals meet. Today she dropped 4.19 seconds in the 100 Free and 2.1 seconds in the 50 back. That's a LOT of time improvement, but it didn't qualify her for finals or state. She wasn't as disappointed as on Friday, though. I think she got more realistic expectations as the weekend went along. Val was able to swim breaststroke with the A medley relay, and that made her feel good. They finished 2 seconds too late to make the state time in the relay.
The results are in and below are her placements. Next year she'll be at the top of her age group and will be more likely to make the top 12 (14, including the 2 alternates) in some of her events to qualify for finals.
100 Breaststroke 17th out of 46
50 Breaststroke 22nd out of 54
50 Butterfly 26th out of 56
50 Back 35th out of 80
100 IM 36th out of 88
100 Free 36th out of 88 (not a mistake, she placed the same in the Free and IM)
50 Free 42nd out of 101
6th out of 17 in the A Medley Relay (Val swam breaststroke)
9th out of 18 in the B Free Relay
Her largest time improvements were in the 100 Free (4.19 seconds) and the 100 Breaststroke (3.5 seconds).
As for me, I worked all three days of the meet and I'm wiped out. I'm tired and sore (my back mostly). Today was the longest day - we were there from 7:30am to 3:30pm. However the officials had more breaks today since we had enough officials to rotate out for 15 minutes about every hour. We got even more time off during the long freestyle events (freestyle doesn't take many officials because there are very few things someone can get disqualified for in the freestyle).
On another note, we didn't get the rain/sleet/snow mix they were calling for today, thank goodness. I hope it's not just late, but is a scratch/no-show.
Hope everyone else had a great weekend. I'm taking the night off to do nothing. Maybe I'll read. Or watch a movie. Or both. Val has homework reading to do and Jason always has reading or math to do for his monthly minutes they track on a calendar.
The results are in and below are her placements. Next year she'll be at the top of her age group and will be more likely to make the top 12 (14, including the 2 alternates) in some of her events to qualify for finals.
100 Breaststroke 17th out of 46
50 Breaststroke 22nd out of 54
50 Butterfly 26th out of 56
50 Back 35th out of 80
100 IM 36th out of 88
100 Free 36th out of 88 (not a mistake, she placed the same in the Free and IM)
50 Free 42nd out of 101
6th out of 17 in the A Medley Relay (Val swam breaststroke)
9th out of 18 in the B Free Relay
Her largest time improvements were in the 100 Free (4.19 seconds) and the 100 Breaststroke (3.5 seconds).
As for me, I worked all three days of the meet and I'm wiped out. I'm tired and sore (my back mostly). Today was the longest day - we were there from 7:30am to 3:30pm. However the officials had more breaks today since we had enough officials to rotate out for 15 minutes about every hour. We got even more time off during the long freestyle events (freestyle doesn't take many officials because there are very few things someone can get disqualified for in the freestyle).
On another note, we didn't get the rain/sleet/snow mix they were calling for today, thank goodness. I hope it's not just late, but is a scratch/no-show.
Hope everyone else had a great weekend. I'm taking the night off to do nothing. Maybe I'll read. Or watch a movie. Or both. Val has homework reading to do and Jason always has reading or math to do for his monthly minutes they track on a calendar.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Val achieves personal bests
Today's swim meet was longer than yesterday. We were there 7:30am to 2:00pm. I officiated, so I was on my feet most of the time. I sat down when I could because my back was tightening up. When we got home and I got out of the car, I found my quads were tightening up too. That's what happens when you run just once a week, I guess. The standing on concrete all day wasn't helping, either I'm sure. On a positive note, my left arm is doing better. The setback didn't last more than a week or so.
Val did very well. She swam personal bests at today's session too. The big news is that she dropped 3.5 seconds from her 100 breaststroke! Even though she was in heat 5 of 8, she didn't qualify for finals. A good friend of hers won the event and made her state time, though. Go Haylee! Val cut a little time off her 50 free (32.2 to 31.86) and edged her 100 IM by about half a second. She swam "clean up" (last swimmer) in the 200 free B relay and her split was about what she swam in the 50 free.
Several of Val's 10 and under friends are qualified for the state meet which is great. The 11-12 age group times are really tough to make, though. Other than Haylee, I'm not sure her other friends are going in personal events. I think they have a free relay and a medley relay going though.
Tomorrow Val has the 100 free and 50 back. She might also be in a Medley relay. She could swim any stroke in the relay because she doesn't have a weak stroke. Breaststroke has been her strongest lately, followed by freestyle, butterfly, and then backstroke.
I don't know if I'll officiate tomorrow. Today they really didn't need me. I could have stayed in the stands. It's nice to be down on deck with Val, though. I get to talk to her after each race and sometimes give her encouragement or feedback. I try to keep the coaching to a minimum, but I couldn't help myself when she was grabbing the front of the block and leaning way back on the freestyle start. I told her she was giving everyone else a head start. I think she did a little less of that on the IM start.
We watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs tonight. It was okay as kid movies go. Ken has been watching lots of the Olympics coverage, so the rest of us have too. I'm not a huge winter Olympics fan. I prefer the summer variety . . . swimming, volleyball, gymnastics, etc. I can appreciate the dedication and heart of all the athletes, though. Amazing.
Val did very well. She swam personal bests at today's session too. The big news is that she dropped 3.5 seconds from her 100 breaststroke! Even though she was in heat 5 of 8, she didn't qualify for finals. A good friend of hers won the event and made her state time, though. Go Haylee! Val cut a little time off her 50 free (32.2 to 31.86) and edged her 100 IM by about half a second. She swam "clean up" (last swimmer) in the 200 free B relay and her split was about what she swam in the 50 free.
Several of Val's 10 and under friends are qualified for the state meet which is great. The 11-12 age group times are really tough to make, though. Other than Haylee, I'm not sure her other friends are going in personal events. I think they have a free relay and a medley relay going though.
Tomorrow Val has the 100 free and 50 back. She might also be in a Medley relay. She could swim any stroke in the relay because she doesn't have a weak stroke. Breaststroke has been her strongest lately, followed by freestyle, butterfly, and then backstroke.
I don't know if I'll officiate tomorrow. Today they really didn't need me. I could have stayed in the stands. It's nice to be down on deck with Val, though. I get to talk to her after each race and sometimes give her encouragement or feedback. I try to keep the coaching to a minimum, but I couldn't help myself when she was grabbing the front of the block and leaning way back on the freestyle start. I told her she was giving everyone else a head start. I think she did a little less of that on the IM start.
We watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs tonight. It was okay as kid movies go. Ken has been watching lots of the Olympics coverage, so the rest of us have too. I'm not a huge winter Olympics fan. I prefer the summer variety . . . swimming, volleyball, gymnastics, etc. I can appreciate the dedication and heart of all the athletes, though. Amazing.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Running and swimming
So I found another reason not to run. My running shorts don't fit anymore. Hmmmm. Or is that a reason TO run?!
What a gorgeous day today. Sunny and 33 with no wind. The roads that have been plowed are mostly dry with a few spots of slush and a small pond here and there. Since I was off work today for Val's regional swim meet (more on that in a moment), I really didn't have any reason not to run when I got home at 2pm.
Since I haven't run in over a week (I think it was last Thursday?), I was pessimistic about heading out. I did okay though, especially given that it was not on the track and so I had a few little hills and obstacles to dodge. I ran a 5K distance without stopping and without water, though I REALLY wanted to stop and scoop up some snow but I didn't want to make my 5K time any worse than I knew it was going to be, so I didn't indulge until the Garmin said 3.1. Then I made a beeline toward a clean-looking snow bank.
The miles were 11:34, 11:10, and 11:15 with the 5K at 34:58. I didn't finish strong this time. I was just holding out to finish the distance. And it took me about 3 minutes of walking after some snow refreshment for me to recover enough to pick up the walking pace. I finished out the last mile with a 17:19 pace which is pretty fast for a walk for me.
Something really cool happened about 10 minutes after the 5K while I was walking the cool down. I was met by 3 cross country runners and when they were about 10 feet away, the one furthest away from me said something to me - just a greeting, but in that quick moment I realized a few things. First, the one who said hi was the coach of the team and Ken has told me he sees him running with his group all the time. Second, and more importantly, I heard a very welcoming and affirming message from him. I don't even know what he said, nothing obviously encouraging. However, it felt like he was addressing me as a running person. Like "hi there, great to be out here, huh?" At that point, I had been walking, but had my Garmin on, my running tights, my trail running shoes, etc. and I may have looked like someone doing a cool down. And I was someone doing a cool down.
So for all of you real runners out there who love this sport, train consistently, do incredible challenges like marathons and half and full ironman races . . . for all of you who do that and still coach or encourage others who will never be in that league, thank you. It really makes a difference when you are inclusive and supportive of those who will never win a race or an age group or run a marathon. I listen to Steverunner because he is like that. And I admire my friends Jim, Tom, and Tim because they are like that. They are all very accomplished runners and yet they take the time to encourage others and they make me feel like I belong out there. Thank you!
Val had her regional championship meet today . . . well, it runs this whole weekend. She had a great regionals last year as a 10 year old and made it to the finals every day. We knew this year would be tougher because she is 11 in the 12 and under age group and Val is certainly one of the smaller kids in that group. Despite the challenge of being at the bottom of the age group, she did great. She swam two events today, the 50 breaststroke and 50 fly and shaved about 2 seconds off each. That's pretty impressive for a 50. Last year she shaved something like 9 seconds off her 100 breaststroke, so in a little over a year she has really sped up with that stroke. Today she was swimming in the middle heats (7 of 10 and 5 of 10) and won her heat for fly.
Since Val was not in the top 12 girls in either race, she didn't get to go back for finals at 5:30 tonight and was very disappointed. The breaststroke was probably her best shot at it for this meet and so she was sad. At her request, we went out to eat at China Dynasty for lunch and then ran some errands and headed home. She was listening to music with important messages to her (from Jump In mostly) and by the time we got home, she was feeling much better.
Tomorrow, Val swims 3 events (the 100 IM, 50 free, and 100 breast) and then she swims two more on Sunday (100 free and 50 back). I don't know if they will have relays or not. If they do, Val will probably be on the B relay. Jason doesn't swim this meet because they don't have an 8 and under age group. Instead, he swims the huge state-wide 8 and under championship meet next weekend. It will be a zoo.
What a gorgeous day today. Sunny and 33 with no wind. The roads that have been plowed are mostly dry with a few spots of slush and a small pond here and there. Since I was off work today for Val's regional swim meet (more on that in a moment), I really didn't have any reason not to run when I got home at 2pm.
Since I haven't run in over a week (I think it was last Thursday?), I was pessimistic about heading out. I did okay though, especially given that it was not on the track and so I had a few little hills and obstacles to dodge. I ran a 5K distance without stopping and without water, though I REALLY wanted to stop and scoop up some snow but I didn't want to make my 5K time any worse than I knew it was going to be, so I didn't indulge until the Garmin said 3.1. Then I made a beeline toward a clean-looking snow bank.
The miles were 11:34, 11:10, and 11:15 with the 5K at 34:58. I didn't finish strong this time. I was just holding out to finish the distance. And it took me about 3 minutes of walking after some snow refreshment for me to recover enough to pick up the walking pace. I finished out the last mile with a 17:19 pace which is pretty fast for a walk for me.
Something really cool happened about 10 minutes after the 5K while I was walking the cool down. I was met by 3 cross country runners and when they were about 10 feet away, the one furthest away from me said something to me - just a greeting, but in that quick moment I realized a few things. First, the one who said hi was the coach of the team and Ken has told me he sees him running with his group all the time. Second, and more importantly, I heard a very welcoming and affirming message from him. I don't even know what he said, nothing obviously encouraging. However, it felt like he was addressing me as a running person. Like "hi there, great to be out here, huh?" At that point, I had been walking, but had my Garmin on, my running tights, my trail running shoes, etc. and I may have looked like someone doing a cool down. And I was someone doing a cool down.
So for all of you real runners out there who love this sport, train consistently, do incredible challenges like marathons and half and full ironman races . . . for all of you who do that and still coach or encourage others who will never be in that league, thank you. It really makes a difference when you are inclusive and supportive of those who will never win a race or an age group or run a marathon. I listen to Steverunner because he is like that. And I admire my friends Jim, Tom, and Tim because they are like that. They are all very accomplished runners and yet they take the time to encourage others and they make me feel like I belong out there. Thank you!
Val had her regional championship meet today . . . well, it runs this whole weekend. She had a great regionals last year as a 10 year old and made it to the finals every day. We knew this year would be tougher because she is 11 in the 12 and under age group and Val is certainly one of the smaller kids in that group. Despite the challenge of being at the bottom of the age group, she did great. She swam two events today, the 50 breaststroke and 50 fly and shaved about 2 seconds off each. That's pretty impressive for a 50. Last year she shaved something like 9 seconds off her 100 breaststroke, so in a little over a year she has really sped up with that stroke. Today she was swimming in the middle heats (7 of 10 and 5 of 10) and won her heat for fly.
Since Val was not in the top 12 girls in either race, she didn't get to go back for finals at 5:30 tonight and was very disappointed. The breaststroke was probably her best shot at it for this meet and so she was sad. At her request, we went out to eat at China Dynasty for lunch and then ran some errands and headed home. She was listening to music with important messages to her (from Jump In mostly) and by the time we got home, she was feeling much better.
Tomorrow, Val swims 3 events (the 100 IM, 50 free, and 100 breast) and then she swims two more on Sunday (100 free and 50 back). I don't know if they will have relays or not. If they do, Val will probably be on the B relay. Jason doesn't swim this meet because they don't have an 8 and under age group. Instead, he swims the huge state-wide 8 and under championship meet next weekend. It will be a zoo.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A week's worth of updates
I've been the strong, silent type lately . . . well, silent anyway. Sorry about that. We've had lots going on, but more than that, I've just not been in the best of moods and didn't want to spread it around. I'll say right now that I haven't worked out since walking about 20 minutes on Saturday. I haven't run at all. And I've had a bit of a relapse with my arm flexibility and use. My left arm has regressed to pre-Christmas mobility and I'm not sure why. Nothing traumatic happened, it just started being gimpy and then I found I didn't have the flexibility anymore either. I guess I'll have to make that physical therapy appointment again.
To catch you up - Val and I had a girls' weekend last weekend. We drove to Virginia to surprise a family friend for her baby shower. We had such a good time, just us girls. And it was fun to surprise Susan and to see how Val was so happy to see her. Susan was Val's first babysitter and they have had a bond her whole life, all 11+ years. Susan now lives in Virginia, is married, and teaching 2nd grade, I think. But she's still a die-hard Buckeye fan so we got her lots of baby buckeye stuff. Val even gave her an OSU headband she wore as a little girl. At Ken's suggestion, we also took Graeter's ice cream, which was a HUGE hit, of course.
We got lucky getting our trip in between snow storms. The kids were off school on Monday for President's Day and then Tuesday and Wednesday for snow days.
So none of this explains why I've been in a bad mood. I had fun over the weekend, but then had a tough days at work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Things were looking bleak, since I've become Director, we've lost 3 FTE from my area and taken on new functions, too. Of course, we haven't dropped any of the old work, either. It's enough to make me question whether I'm doing such a great job at this new role. Could someone more politically savvy or personally more effective done something to keep our group at full strength? I also had a negative thing happen where I felt another group took away an application I created so they could use it for their purposes and they altered it so I couldn't use it for what I needed. And the kicker is that I still have to support it and use it as they have defined. I have to create a new application and process now for doing my work. It was not a good week.
Today was good, though. It certainly put things in perspective. We had a Diversity workshop done by the National Coalition Building Institute. The training was excellent and was led by a previous work colleague who I haven't seen in a long time, along with the husband of a current colleague and another OSU employee. They were very good and the group was engaged and diverse in many ways. It helped me put things in to perspective.
I'm in HR. It's about the H - the humans - us people. We are what matters. How I track my project decisions and whether my work needs are important to other groups is really not critical in the real scheme of things. I still think I was mistreated this week, but hey, nothing compared to some of the stories of discrimination I heard today. And, honestly, nothing compared to other times when I have been mistreated in my life. So I got over it. I'll create yet another process (third time's a charm) to manage the work for this new role I have. Eventually something will stick and I'll get in a groove with it, I hope.
I don't have to go to work tomorrow. It's Valerie's regional swim meet weekend and she swims Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'll be there with her tomorrow, but Jason will be at school and Ken at work. I might officiate since Val really doesn't need me to take care of her and she can hang out with her friends.
It will be a long weekend. I hope I can get some down time.
To catch you up - Val and I had a girls' weekend last weekend. We drove to Virginia to surprise a family friend for her baby shower. We had such a good time, just us girls. And it was fun to surprise Susan and to see how Val was so happy to see her. Susan was Val's first babysitter and they have had a bond her whole life, all 11+ years. Susan now lives in Virginia, is married, and teaching 2nd grade, I think. But she's still a die-hard Buckeye fan so we got her lots of baby buckeye stuff. Val even gave her an OSU headband she wore as a little girl. At Ken's suggestion, we also took Graeter's ice cream, which was a HUGE hit, of course.
We got lucky getting our trip in between snow storms. The kids were off school on Monday for President's Day and then Tuesday and Wednesday for snow days.
So none of this explains why I've been in a bad mood. I had fun over the weekend, but then had a tough days at work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Things were looking bleak, since I've become Director, we've lost 3 FTE from my area and taken on new functions, too. Of course, we haven't dropped any of the old work, either. It's enough to make me question whether I'm doing such a great job at this new role. Could someone more politically savvy or personally more effective done something to keep our group at full strength? I also had a negative thing happen where I felt another group took away an application I created so they could use it for their purposes and they altered it so I couldn't use it for what I needed. And the kicker is that I still have to support it and use it as they have defined. I have to create a new application and process now for doing my work. It was not a good week.
Today was good, though. It certainly put things in perspective. We had a Diversity workshop done by the National Coalition Building Institute. The training was excellent and was led by a previous work colleague who I haven't seen in a long time, along with the husband of a current colleague and another OSU employee. They were very good and the group was engaged and diverse in many ways. It helped me put things in to perspective.
I'm in HR. It's about the H - the humans - us people. We are what matters. How I track my project decisions and whether my work needs are important to other groups is really not critical in the real scheme of things. I still think I was mistreated this week, but hey, nothing compared to some of the stories of discrimination I heard today. And, honestly, nothing compared to other times when I have been mistreated in my life. So I got over it. I'll create yet another process (third time's a charm) to manage the work for this new role I have. Eventually something will stick and I'll get in a groove with it, I hope.
I don't have to go to work tomorrow. It's Valerie's regional swim meet weekend and she swims Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'll be there with her tomorrow, but Jason will be at school and Ken at work. I might officiate since Val really doesn't need me to take care of her and she can hang out with her friends.
It will be a long weekend. I hope I can get some down time.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Ran 5K today
We've dug out of our snow haven here and went to swim team practice today. And I forced myself to run on the RPAC track again. And, like most times, I feel much better for having done it.
I kinda ran a 5K today. I used the first 3 laps (1/8mi each) as a warm up and stopped the clock after each to do "prep" type stuff (stretch my calves, retie my shoes, realize I've tied them too tight and loosen them again). Then I ran the rest of the 5K straight through with no stops and no water (I forgot my water bottle and didn't want to stop to go to the fountain). Generally I'm pretty dependent on my water bottle and carry it with me when I run outside. I even carried it through the 5K I ran for time (under 30 min) and the half marathon. Yes, I know they offer water along the way. I like my bottle. Waaaaaa!
So today's miles were 11:10, 11:14, 11:02. The 5K was 34:35 with the last lap (1/8 mile) much faster than the previous 24. So I finished strong and then walked the rest of the 4th mile.
Be sure to vote for the team name in the poll at the top/right of my blog home page. After you make your selections and click the Vote button, it takes a few seconds before the vote will register on the results. If your vote doesn't change the results right away, just navigate back and forth between "Vote on this poll" and "View the results" until you see your change. I got some great team names suggested from my parents and Jim so I added two new names to the list. Thanks for joining in on the naming game!
I also heard from Ken's sister, Michelle. She's going to join us in our run. Yea! Any other takers. Come on, you can do it!
I kinda ran a 5K today. I used the first 3 laps (1/8mi each) as a warm up and stopped the clock after each to do "prep" type stuff (stretch my calves, retie my shoes, realize I've tied them too tight and loosen them again). Then I ran the rest of the 5K straight through with no stops and no water (I forgot my water bottle and didn't want to stop to go to the fountain). Generally I'm pretty dependent on my water bottle and carry it with me when I run outside. I even carried it through the 5K I ran for time (under 30 min) and the half marathon. Yes, I know they offer water along the way. I like my bottle. Waaaaaa!
So today's miles were 11:10, 11:14, 11:02. The 5K was 34:35 with the last lap (1/8 mile) much faster than the previous 24. So I finished strong and then walked the rest of the 4th mile.
Be sure to vote for the team name in the poll at the top/right of my blog home page. After you make your selections and click the Vote button, it takes a few seconds before the vote will register on the results. If your vote doesn't change the results right away, just navigate back and forth between "Vote on this poll" and "View the results" until you see your change. I got some great team names suggested from my parents and Jim so I added two new names to the list. Thanks for joining in on the naming game!
I also heard from Ken's sister, Michelle. She's going to join us in our run. Yea! Any other takers. Come on, you can do it!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snow
We're getting much more snow this winter than usual. Schools were closed again yesterday and today.
Ken stayed home with the kids yesterday. Since I had a full day of meetings, I went to work. Overnight we had just a dusting of snow but it was supposed to snow all day long - and it did. The drive to work started at about 7am and took over 2 hours (instead of 30-40 min), even though there was very little snow. The drive home at 4:40pm took just 50 minutes after a full day of heavy snow. Crazy. I think people were worried about the weather and leaving work at different times throughout the day, so by the time I was headed out, it wasn't a "real" rush hour.
Today was a light meeting day for me because I was supposed to have a physical therapy appointment this morning. I cancelled that appointment and stayed home today. I got a lot of work done from here (probably more than I would have gotten done at work) and still had time to make chili and take 2 hours off to see the movie Tooth Fairy with the family. So we had a great day all around.
I'm not sure when I'll reschedule the physical therapy appointment.
Since the kids didn't go to school, we didn't go to swim team Tues or Wed either. And so I didn't go to the gym. No exercise for what seems like weeks. I think I last ran on Saturday. Is that right? I don't know. It's pretty bad when you can't remember the last time you exercised! It does not bode well for the race in May. The kids haven't started training at all yet.
I got an email from the Race for the Cure and they have a new website registration and fund raising system. I need to decide whether I'm running as an individual or as a team before I register. What do you think? Want to join me? If so, let me know and I'll definitely sign up as a team.
I've got a new poll at the top of my blog page - vote for the Race for the Cure team name!
Ken stayed home with the kids yesterday. Since I had a full day of meetings, I went to work. Overnight we had just a dusting of snow but it was supposed to snow all day long - and it did. The drive to work started at about 7am and took over 2 hours (instead of 30-40 min), even though there was very little snow. The drive home at 4:40pm took just 50 minutes after a full day of heavy snow. Crazy. I think people were worried about the weather and leaving work at different times throughout the day, so by the time I was headed out, it wasn't a "real" rush hour.
Today was a light meeting day for me because I was supposed to have a physical therapy appointment this morning. I cancelled that appointment and stayed home today. I got a lot of work done from here (probably more than I would have gotten done at work) and still had time to make chili and take 2 hours off to see the movie Tooth Fairy with the family. So we had a great day all around.
I'm not sure when I'll reschedule the physical therapy appointment.
Since the kids didn't go to school, we didn't go to swim team Tues or Wed either. And so I didn't go to the gym. No exercise for what seems like weeks. I think I last ran on Saturday. Is that right? I don't know. It's pretty bad when you can't remember the last time you exercised! It does not bode well for the race in May. The kids haven't started training at all yet.
I got an email from the Race for the Cure and they have a new website registration and fund raising system. I need to decide whether I'm running as an individual or as a team before I register. What do you think? Want to join me? If so, let me know and I'll definitely sign up as a team.
I've got a new poll at the top of my blog page - vote for the Race for the Cure team name!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Surgery on May 25
My implant surgery is scheduled for May 25. That's10 days after the Race for the Cure. I knew the doc ordered the surgery and a surgery coordinator was going to schedule it, but I thought I'd get a call or something. Instead I got a letter with the date of the surgery and the date of the preop appointment. Too bad it's not a week earlier. That's okay. I'll just go with it.
The surgery is at the Plastic Surgery location, not the main hospital or the cancer hospital. That's nice. It's much easier to get there, park, and relax. It's much smaller and homey. They even have a great little cafe that has a fabulous hummus with green salad thingy. Of course, I won't be hanging out in the cafeteria, will I? At least I know Ken will be comfy.
The bummer is that I have to be there at . . . get this . . . 6:30am. Whoa. Now that's nuts. I'll probably be home by noon. The doc and nurses say it's a much less complicated procedure and won't be like the 4+ hours of surgery I had in November.
I'm not sure how much time I'll need off work, I've heard 1 week and I've heard 2 weeks. Either way, it's not 6 weeks like last time. The nurse said the doc likes his patients to take off just a little longer than it takes to be off the meds because when we go to work we start doing things like carrying portfolios and such. Thankfully he's never seen me lugging my bulging shoulder bag/brief case, huge purse with too many electronics and a fiction book in it, my lunch, and a few hand-me-downs for Brent's daughter from the parking garage to my office -- I even sometimes take the 4+ flights of stairs while impersonating the pack mule.
I also got a packet in the mail from the post-surgery rehab people and I was pretty annoyed at the stuff they sent. They sent a whole new group of forms that I've already filled out at least 6 or 7 times in the past 5 months and I know they have all this stuff in their computer (I've seen it there!). Actually they know the information better than I do. I don't know all the dates and names of meds and such. So why do they tell me to get there 45 minutes early and to fill out all this paperwork before I come?! It's maddening. And it's actually my own employer wasting the time I could be at work. And why did they waste so much money on that mailing anyway? Quit spending money on crazy stuff like that and give us some funds for a business analyst! Okay, I'm stepping off and away from the soap box.
On Wednesday (weather permitting), I am going to the post-surgery rehab place (30 minutes early, not 45) to get an assessment of my arm mobility, especially the left one. I don't know if I will fill out their forms or not. I usually do, but this time I'm thinking I'll just tell them it's all in their computer.
The surgery is at the Plastic Surgery location, not the main hospital or the cancer hospital. That's nice. It's much easier to get there, park, and relax. It's much smaller and homey. They even have a great little cafe that has a fabulous hummus with green salad thingy. Of course, I won't be hanging out in the cafeteria, will I? At least I know Ken will be comfy.
The bummer is that I have to be there at . . . get this . . . 6:30am. Whoa. Now that's nuts. I'll probably be home by noon. The doc and nurses say it's a much less complicated procedure and won't be like the 4+ hours of surgery I had in November.
I'm not sure how much time I'll need off work, I've heard 1 week and I've heard 2 weeks. Either way, it's not 6 weeks like last time. The nurse said the doc likes his patients to take off just a little longer than it takes to be off the meds because when we go to work we start doing things like carrying portfolios and such. Thankfully he's never seen me lugging my bulging shoulder bag/brief case, huge purse with too many electronics and a fiction book in it, my lunch, and a few hand-me-downs for Brent's daughter from the parking garage to my office -- I even sometimes take the 4+ flights of stairs while impersonating the pack mule.
I also got a packet in the mail from the post-surgery rehab people and I was pretty annoyed at the stuff they sent. They sent a whole new group of forms that I've already filled out at least 6 or 7 times in the past 5 months and I know they have all this stuff in their computer (I've seen it there!). Actually they know the information better than I do. I don't know all the dates and names of meds and such. So why do they tell me to get there 45 minutes early and to fill out all this paperwork before I come?! It's maddening. And it's actually my own employer wasting the time I could be at work. And why did they waste so much money on that mailing anyway? Quit spending money on crazy stuff like that and give us some funds for a business analyst! Okay, I'm stepping off and away from the soap box.
On Wednesday (weather permitting), I am going to the post-surgery rehab place (30 minutes early, not 45) to get an assessment of my arm mobility, especially the left one. I don't know if I will fill out their forms or not. I usually do, but this time I'm thinking I'll just tell them it's all in their computer.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Walking
I walked with Eunice again on Wed (about 40 minutes or so) and I couldn't keep up with her. She was probably walking a 15 minute mile pace and my shins were killing me. When we jogged across a street or something, they didn't hurt. There must be something different about walking fast that causes my shins to say "Hey, what's this new activity? We don't do this."
I had a chance to walk with Eunice again today but instead decided to walk all the way across campus for my 1pm meeting. I went from my office to the Fawcett Center (about 2 miles) carrying my shoulder bag with my portfolio and file folders in it. What I didn't plan on was my Fawcett Center meeting running late. I had to walk Eunice-like to Bricker Hall (1.3 miles) to make my next meeting. I got there at 2:30 on the dot.
Since I had meetings that ran past 3pm, I couldn't pick up the kids for swim team practice, but I decided that's probably a good thing. Val is really sore (core and legs mostly) from the past few days of practice and from running in gym, so it's probably good to give her a couple of days to recoup before the 2 day swim meet this weekend. However, because I didn't take them to swim team, I didn't get to run. All the walking will have to count for my exercise today.
And now for a word from my sponsors:
A wonderful thing happened today - I had an impromptu lunch with a bunch of work friends. I was headed out for my long walk and I figured I'd stop at Chipolte along the way. However, I caught up with a group who caught up with another group and pretty soon 8 of us were walking down High Street and headed to Eggfast. I didn't even know this place existed - and it's just blocks from my office. The food was great - I had an egg, cheese, and turkey sausage burrito with chipolte sauce. Give it a try if you're in the area. I think they're open 24 hours.
I had a chance to walk with Eunice again today but instead decided to walk all the way across campus for my 1pm meeting. I went from my office to the Fawcett Center (about 2 miles) carrying my shoulder bag with my portfolio and file folders in it. What I didn't plan on was my Fawcett Center meeting running late. I had to walk Eunice-like to Bricker Hall (1.3 miles) to make my next meeting. I got there at 2:30 on the dot.
Since I had meetings that ran past 3pm, I couldn't pick up the kids for swim team practice, but I decided that's probably a good thing. Val is really sore (core and legs mostly) from the past few days of practice and from running in gym, so it's probably good to give her a couple of days to recoup before the 2 day swim meet this weekend. However, because I didn't take them to swim team, I didn't get to run. All the walking will have to count for my exercise today.
And now for a word from my sponsors:
Hi everyone! It's Val!! My mom is awesome! She's a SURVIVOR! I got a new nickname in my class today: H2O Girl! Bye!And I didn't even pay them to say all that. Well, I guess taking them out to eat at Max and Erma's might be construed as a bribe or form of payment . . . . Val typed her own message. Jason dictated his. The story with the nickname is that Val wore a swim-theme t-shirt today declaring "H2O Girl" and the kids in her class started calling her that. She thought it was a pretty great nickname. I do too.
Hi everyone! It's Jason!! I'm awesome! I said that because I want you to remember that for a long time. We just went to Max and Erma's and I surprised Mom and Dad by using this sentence: I'm such a glutton. Remember, I'm only 8. Yo. Peace. Out for now.
A wonderful thing happened today - I had an impromptu lunch with a bunch of work friends. I was headed out for my long walk and I figured I'd stop at Chipolte along the way. However, I caught up with a group who caught up with another group and pretty soon 8 of us were walking down High Street and headed to Eggfast. I didn't even know this place existed - and it's just blocks from my office. The food was great - I had an egg, cheese, and turkey sausage burrito with chipolte sauce. Give it a try if you're in the area. I think they're open 24 hours.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Slow and slower
The past couple days at work have been tough. Still trying to get a handle on this new role. The good news is that I have company. The other 5 people at the University who are working with me on this new process are also struggling right now. It's just the chaos time of change and it will settle eventually. Yesterday was particularly discouraging and I reacted by coming home and having 2 beers and eating poorly. Great plan.
Today I moved back to a cautious hopeful.
After work, I took the kids to swim team and forced myself to run. Outside. The footing is good now, no ice or snow lasted through the mid-40s temps we had today. I'm not sure why my run was so labored. Slow and tough. Didn't the pizza and beer and cookies last night provide enough fuel? I would think so. I did a pitiful 5K which included walking a minute or two occassionally. The miles were 12:02, 12:34, and 12:12. The 5K was almost an even 38:00. I'm getting slower and slower. And less and less motivated. Grrrrrr.
I know, I know . . . I can't expect to always have a good run. And I shouldn't judge progress on one day. Or two. Or three. Well, maybe three. :-) And I'm just trying to build a new base since I lost it all with the surgery, so it doesn't matter how fast I run, just that I get out there. (that's true, right?) So it's done. I got out there.
I may join the brisk walk group at work tomorrow, depending on my schedule and my sore knee, of course. I think I have lunchtime free if I don't have to prep for any meetings. My knee was a little sore today while running and a bit more sore after running, especially when going down stairs. It hurts when my toes are on the ground and my heel is up. It's not terrible, though. I can persevere.
I'm sleeping a little easier now. I don't have to prop up on pillows or force myself to stay on my back, so that's progress. The expanders must be doing their job and my muscles and skin must be cooperating somewhat. I may run like molasses, but when it comes to my chest, I'm Elastigirl.
Today I moved back to a cautious hopeful.
After work, I took the kids to swim team and forced myself to run. Outside. The footing is good now, no ice or snow lasted through the mid-40s temps we had today. I'm not sure why my run was so labored. Slow and tough. Didn't the pizza and beer and cookies last night provide enough fuel? I would think so. I did a pitiful 5K which included walking a minute or two occassionally. The miles were 12:02, 12:34, and 12:12. The 5K was almost an even 38:00. I'm getting slower and slower. And less and less motivated. Grrrrrr.
I know, I know . . . I can't expect to always have a good run. And I shouldn't judge progress on one day. Or two. Or three. Well, maybe three. :-) And I'm just trying to build a new base since I lost it all with the surgery, so it doesn't matter how fast I run, just that I get out there. (that's true, right?) So it's done. I got out there.
I may join the brisk walk group at work tomorrow, depending on my schedule and my sore knee, of course. I think I have lunchtime free if I don't have to prep for any meetings. My knee was a little sore today while running and a bit more sore after running, especially when going down stairs. It hurts when my toes are on the ground and my heel is up. It's not terrible, though. I can persevere.
I'm sleeping a little easier now. I don't have to prop up on pillows or force myself to stay on my back, so that's progress. The expanders must be doing their job and my muscles and skin must be cooperating somewhat. I may run like molasses, but when it comes to my chest, I'm Elastigirl.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)