rocking the workouts

I just signed up for the Grapes of Rock half marathon in June.  To kick off my training, I’m taking a rest day.  I briefly debated running with Baby A this morning but I came up with a really good excuse excuse to skip it… My favorite running pants were still wet after doing laundry last night and my husband was sound asleep in the bedroom, which contained all of my other running gear.  I didn’t want to wake him.  How considerate I’ve suddenly become!  Seriously, I rode 10 hilly miles on Friday and ran almost five miles yesterday so I decided that my knees could use the break today.

The past several weeks have been touch and go in the exercise department.  I did get back on my Supersix again and rode to Cibo with my biking Divas!  Then I missed several Baby Boot Camps because of our ever-evolving nap time.  When I finally did attempt a class, I was informed by the other two women who showed up that the class time had changed.  I did a remarkably good workout of exercises I remembered from class and added a few of my own (squats with Baby A, both holding him and holding his hands while we squatted together).    

After a couple weeks of home workouts, we left town again.  Traveling with a baby is hard work but it certainly doesn’t count as a workout since my husband does most of the lifting, carrying and stroller pushing.  I was feeling pretty smug and travel-pro-ish as I counted Baby A’s 18th flight Thursday.  Until he screamed inconsolably for a good amount of time and disturbed the entire plane full of people.  So much for “travels well with baby”.  We spent a week of our time in Boston with my family.  I was working and it was freezing cold and snowy.  Long walks and long meals with my family were the free time pleasures.  Then we went to NJ for Passover with my husband’s family.  In between family time and delicious, enormous meals, I decided it would be really good for Baby A to have some gym playtime.  Plus, I really needed to sweat.  He loved the childcare at my in-laws’ gym and I loved the Techno gym skating machine, which nobody else in the gym ever seemed to use.  I did three separate workouts on this machine then mixed it up with an “elliptical triathlon” on the fourth day.  (Skate, bike, escalator steps)  Last month I took a course at my Y on using medicine balls so my husband and I concluded each workout with several partner medicine ball exercises.  I tried to remember correct form and as many of the silly looking exercises I could.  We had a blast!  Nothing like working out with a partner for extra motivation.

I made an important decision during my final NJ workout.  Feeling good about myself after a trainer complimented my exercise ball push-up form,  I decided that I was finished with my post-baby stomach. Instead of just letting the flab be until after Baby #2 (no immediate plans) I want my old abs back.  And I started working for it.  I’m paying more attention to what I eat and I’m getting serious about my core work.  

So, there’s the recap of my past month.  I plan on blogging more frequently during race training, so feel free pick a race and train with me!

 

the things we do for naptime

I go to great lengths insuring Baby A gets his long morning nap so I have a couple hours of “me” time!  Sometimes I sleep, sometimes I relax, but mostly I practice, shower, clean the kitchen, do laundry, etc.  Today I was faced with the challenge of a repair guy coming at some point during his nap.  You know – the keep a 4 hour window open and sit home waiting for them type of repair.  I formulated a plan that we’d run to and from the gym and by the time we arrived home Baby A would be asleep in his stroller.  I’d wheel him inside and let him sleep downstairs then let the repairman in the side door and allow him access to the back of the house and Baby A’s room.  I even had the foresight to tape a note to the door with my phone number so the doorbell wouldn’t be used.

At 8:30 this morning we left the house jogging and made it to the gym just in time for Pilates.  The class was overcrowded and the foam rollers gone so I spent the first five minutes of class sprinting around the gym collecting spares for us late-comers.  Once I finally settled in, I was pleased to find that the class was heavy on stretching.  Don’t get me wrong; we did plenty of core work!  I just needed the stretching more this morning.  Unfortunately, I had to leave a little early so as to be home by 10 in case the repairman was there on the early side.  I went to retrieve Baby A from childcare and found him scavenging pieces of somebody else’s honey nut granola bar off the floor.  Hmm…  I quickly changed his diaper and offered him a squeezy pack of some odd fruit and veggie combo he loved, then took off in the direction of home.

Flaw to my plan: Baby A does not sleep on command.  We reached our block and he was looking sleepy but definitely not asleep.  So I ran around the block.  Then I did it again.  And again.  I tried to look inconspicuous since I felt ridiculous running around the block when we live practically across the street from Golden Gate Park.  The old lady sweeping leaves and flower petals across the street (also an ongoing effort since the wind picked up each time she formed a neat pile) congratulated me on running so much as I passed her the third time around.   Luckily by the fourth round Baby A was out and as I walked toward the house, my phone rang.  I ushered the repair guy up the stairs, pushed the stroller in, turned on the Sound Sleeper  app car sounds and led the way to the back.

Repair complete, I am enjoying a cup of Choffy, courtesy of my mom and the Honolulu chocolate festival, and Baby A is still sound asleep!

this week’s workouts:

Sunday- 4 mile run, stopping at bakery, farmers market and playground

Monday- 15 minute express swim, had a gig and hired a babysitter early so I could fit in a swim (yes, 15 minutes is worth it!)

Tuesday- walked to and from music class

Wednesday- 3 miles, to and from gym plus three times around the block, Pilates mat class