TRI-umphant

I am a. . .Triathlete.

This morning I completed my first official triathlon, and loved it!
I was most nervous about the swim, as that is my weakest area - I don't really have much practice, nor a lot of opportunity to practice.  So I was anxious about it, to say the least.  I was pretty confident in my biking and running though, so that's what helped push me through.

I participated in the Ramblin' Rose Triathlon, which is targeted at women, and very encouraging of first time triathletes. 

As always, I was up at zero dark thirty to get ready and head out.  I got to the race site parking by 6:40, and was through packet-pick-up, chip wrapping, body markings and transition set-up by 7:30am. 

The race started at 8am.

Let me clarify that - the race started at 8am, for those who were so confident in their swim abilities to list "10" - the fastest swimming slot on their sign-up, and so they got to go into the building first to start their swim.

I was still standing outside, waiting to enter the building, to go to the pool, when the first runners came through to head to the finish (keep in mind that the order is swim, bike, run - so if the runners were coming through. . .well. . .you get the idea).

This particular Tri utilized an indoor pool at an Aquatic Center.  Some Tri's use local lakes or ponds.  I felt like for my lack of swimming experience that the pool would be best, because if I really, really needed to stop, there would be a wall/lifeguard nearby.

No worries.  I did better than expected at the swim (although still my slowest pace time).  This swim was 250 yards - 10 lanes of 25 yards each.  I didn't drown.  I didn't drown anyone else. 

From the swim, we exited the building to head out to the parking lot transition area.  I managed to get to my bike, and shove my wet feet into socks (I hadn't planned on this being an added challenge, but it was).  Got my bike, and headed out to a 9 mile ride.  This part was fun, and I felt good about my riding. 

Back towards transition, on an uphill.  Got my bike onto the rack, and my feet into my running shoes.
Running after biking is always awkward, to me, at first.  It seems to take a good 1/2 mile before I feel like my legs are functioning properly.  This was no different, but at least I could anticipate it, and the run was only 2 miles. 

Similar to the riding, I felt good about the running.  The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day.

I finished strong, although I don't know my time.  I aimed to complete and have fun, and was hoping for an hour or less on the final time.  **Just checked and my final time was 0:57:11**

No matter, it was a great experience.  I would certainly TRI it again.

As a side note - this race came at the end of a very rough motherhood/working week.  It was one of those weeks where nothing seemed to go right, people were snappy and demanding (myself included), and I was so grateful when Friday night rolled around, and I could at least start to recover from the hectic craziness of our weekday schedules.


During the TRI, I found myself thinking that as challenging as these races can be - nothing is more challenging than the day-to-day of life.  In fact, I often find myself thinking that my runs/bikes/races are a break from my daily demands and craziness. 

This was a great way to end one week, and start another. 

Saying YES

The past few weeks are taking their toll on me.  No, it's not work, as some might assume, since I just returned recently.  No, it's not the working out and fitness, which is still my sanity time.

It's my son's social life.

On my blog, I frequently mention my 9 year old - who is very much the apple of my tree.  We are two peas in a pod.  The same side of the coin.  Cheese and sprinkles (for all you RIO fans). 

Well, my 7 year old is the day to our night. 

While my 9 year old challenges me regularly with behaviors and issues so similar to my own it is bizarre; my 7 year old forces me to step out of my comfort zone by dealing head on with true dislikes and discomforts completely foreign to ME.  It is wearing me out with this stretching of my personal boundaries.  I wonder if this is how my 9 year old feels about the changes we are working on with him?  Something to ponder. . .

Our 7 year old is a social butterfly.  The worst punishment we can inflict on him is to isolate him from others.  He seeks out people no matter where we are, and everyone is a friend once he introduces himself.  I am in awe of  his openness.  I watch him at playgrounds, parties, even stores, as he goes up to other children to say HI and chat.  Everyone is immediately a best friend.  All I can do is stand back and watch, because I am so impressed with his friendliness and desire to connect with others. 

I am the opposite.

Leave me at home.  Peace and quiet.  No parties.  No social hour.  I would much rather be alone than be with a group of people.  I've found if it's one or two friends, I am okay - but more than that is difficult for me.  I mean truly difficult - like it's uncomfortable physically, for me to be with large groups of people.  I avoid parties, if at all possible.  I could go on and on about this - I am aware that I have issues, and really, I have been okay with this!

 

My Dad and Stepmom used to have an ornery old cat.  This cat was anti-social and quite set in her ways.  One time, after a social visit at my parents house, the cat could not be found.  It turned out she had crawled up the chimney - we think - to escape all the people and noise.  She was safely retrieved, but we often joked afterwards, about hiding up the chimney to escape the craziness.

Now, I must expand my anti-social bubble. 

My 7 year old just started 2nd grade with a whole new group of classmates - a bunch of new friends to make - and make friends, he is.  I volunteer regularly in the classroom, and there has not been one day in the past two weeks where I am not cornered (and I truly mean, backed into a corner), by up to three other 2nd grade boys requesting a playdate with my son, or a sleepover. 

What???

I can barely handle my own two boys, and now I have more who want to come over?  The noise level in my house is surely already triggering some national alarm for illegal levels without any assistance, but they want to add more kids to the mix?  We already have holes in the walls, scuff marks all over the paint, and broken fixtures due to young boys, and now we want more active, loud boys to come over? 

Let me re-read the parental contract, I am pretty sure I did not sign up for this. . .

Oh wait.  There is no contract.  I have to do this - because it's the right thing for my kids, even though it is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

I am doing it.  It's been hard, to put it mildly.  It is exhausting, to say the least.  I want to crawl into a hole and hide.  I want to wear earplugs, and pretend I don't hear all the yelling and noise.  But I don't.
I'm in it.  We are having playdates.  They have been successful (no one died!).  We attempted a sleepover - with a friend coming over here - and I was up until midnight, finally returning the homesick child to his mother, as I recall my own parents doing as well, with me being the homesick child (no surprise there, right?). 

 

I have to make myself say YES to these playdates/sleepovers.  It is an effort that needs to be made on my part.  I don't like it.  Just like I don't like running sprints and pushing myself so fast until I can barely breathe.  And I don't like running super-long distances, spending hours out on the road.  HOWEVER, by running sprints, and super-long distances, I build up my speed and endurance. . .before I know it, I am able to run faster and longer, and it's not as hard, because I've been working towards that goal. 

It's the same with parenting.  I do not like social situations.  It is an huge effort to say YES and welcome more children into our home. 

Like sprints and long runs, hopefully these playdates and sleepovers get easier -

If not, look for me up the chimney.

Chasing Rainbows.

I don't know what your exercise schedule is like - but for the most part, I plan mine out a week in advance.  I know which classes I will attend at the gym, and I know when and how far I plan to run or cycle - at the beginning of every week.

This past week, it got to be the very end of the week, and I knew I wanted to run and/or swim.  We were in the mountains for the long weekend.  On Sunday, as the day progressed, we got behind with various activities, and I felt my workout opportunity slipping away.  With a boom of thunder, I quickly changed into my running clothes, hoping to get in 3 miles before the storm.  It would have to do -
A mile and a half into the run, the sky opened up.  Not with sprinkles or drizzle - an enormous downpour, pounding on the pavement, causing steam to rise up, and the humidity to double.  I am running - not near enough to the cabin to seek shelter.  In a matter of seconds, I am drenched.  I might as well keep going, right?  In the pouring rain, in the steam, in the humidity, I ran my 3 miles (3.5 to be exact).  As I was rounding the final turn, the rain slowed down, and the sun peeked out - and what do you know, but a rainbow appeared on the ground about 2 feet in front of me.  I focused on the rainbow, and ran towards it. . .rounding another turn, I was now upon the rainbow.  In fact, it looked like it was shooting out of my left shoe.  I caught the rainbow.

This got me thinking about how when I was younger, I was taught the acronym for remembering the colors of the rainbow - ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). 

My 9 year old is almost 2/3 of the way done with his twelve weeks of Brain Balance.  After this week, he will have four more weeks.  He has made tremendous progress in quite a few areas.  Many people are asking us, "Do you think Brain Balance is working?"  "Do you think Brain Balance is the reason for his improvement?"

Yes...and No.

I do not think we would have seen this improvement, this fast, without Brain Balance.  I think that Brain Balance has been an enormous part of the success we are seeing right now.  I am so glad that we are able to participate in this program, and work with such an amazing and supportive staff.  I want to attend Brain Balance.  I think everyone could benefit from this kind of program.

But I also think that Brain Balance is standing on the shoulders of others.  Our school is amazing.  Every teacher who has contact with my children, even the ones they just pass in the hallways, is wonderful and helpful.  Each teacher that my son gets to work with has helped him to get to where he is now, and they continue to raise the bar while encouraging him. 

My parents have supported all of us through a variety of therapies, and therapists, in an effort to give my son the tools and strategies he needs to improve and be successful.

My husband and I both have not just taken our child to these therapies and therapists, but modified our lives, our schedules, and our parenting, in order to be more organized, be more supportive, be more disciplined, and to create the scaffolding needed in order to support our child(ren) in the different ways they learn and grow.

Like the rainbow - it takes rain and sunshine, for all the colors to come together to create something beautiful.
It takes this village of grandparents, teachers, Brain Balance, friends, family, and parenting, in order for my children to shine.  Their colors are showing, and I thank YOU all.

I "Tri'd" It, and I Liked It.

Something old, something new - wait, that's for weddings.

Well, a couple weekends ago I tried a Triathlon, a "Tri".  For those of you who don't know, this is a race that is involves:  Swim, Bike, and Run, in various distances.

This race was a Mock Sprint Tri (shorter distances) - the real event is in a couple weeks, but a group wanted to do a sample of the course, and they opened it up to anyone who was interested in Tri-ing (ha ha, I have a bunch of these wittys, brace yourself).  One of the gentlemen that I cycle with on Thursday nights extended the invite, so he was my connection to the Mock Tri. . .and the one I figured I'd tag along with for the event, as we both agreed that swimming was our weakest leg of the three exercises.

Throwing complete logic and responsibility to the wind, I decided to participate, even though I had honestly not been swimming in over a decade.  That's right.  Other than donning a bikini and sitting out next to our neighborhood pool supervising my children, I had not been in a pool to swim since, I don't know, college? 

There was a SNL skit in the 80s I think, called Bad Idea Jeans.  It's a bunch of guys standing around sharing - bad ideas, I mean, really bad ideas.  You can find the video on Hulu, if you are interested.  My point to this side note is that I kept thinking to myself, "Bad Idea Jeans" as I geared up for this Tri.  Bad idea that I was doing this, because I had not been practicing at all for the swim portion, bad idea because I didn't own the proper gear for this kind of event, bad idea because I didn't know the course in advance, just. . .a bad idea.

Per my usual M.O. I showed up bright and early.  As I started getting all my stuff set up (bike tires pumped - check, water bottles ready - check, running shoes set out - check), I realized I forgot my socks somewhere. . .I know I had grabbed them, but they were no where to be found in my gear bag.  Crap.  Shift.

A guy pulled up next to me, while I was setting up. . ."How many triathlons have you done?" he asked. 
"None.  This is my first."  I said with a big grin.
He had no response.  I felt like this was a really. . .Bad. Idea.

The swim was supposed to be a 500 yard loop around the lake, but my cycling friend and I swam along the shore, since neither one of us was comfortable enough with the swim to head out into the lake.  And I did swim - without dying or cramping.  Goal achieved.

Next came the bicycle portion.  I ended up with the fast group, due to helping someone with a flat tire, so per my normal multisport experience - I was last.  It was a beautiful day though, and I enjoyed it.  12.5 hilly miles on the bike.

Back to the Start to change into running shoes - 5K run.  I ran with my cycling friend, and it was a beautiful run.  We finished strong!

It actually ended up being a great experience, and I am so glad I Tri'd it.  (hey, I warned you).
After returning home, I discovered my socks lying in the road in front of my home. . .they must have fallen out of my bag when I was loading my bike. 

Similar to my duathlon experience, I like the changing of events - going from one event to another helps the time to pass, and works different muscle groups.  I would love to do a Tri again - especially if I have an opportunity to practice swimming prior to the race. 

Because. . .
If at first you don't succeed, Try Tri Again.

A Problem I LOVE Having.

I've mentioned before, my 9 year old son has some issues.  He can be quite challenging, particularly with academic-related things.

This summer we started a program called Brain Balance - an academic "achievement center" - where we attend sessions, and do homework, for 12 intensive weeks, in the hopes of improving positive behaviors and academic progress. . .This requires both academic work, and physical workouts.  The theory being a strong body, leads to a strong mind - which I agree with wholeheartedly.


As of this week, we are halfway through the Brain Balance program.  It is our first week of school - 4th grade for my 9 year old.  We are hoping, hoping, hoping that we make enough positive changes to do well this year.  I'm not sure if it is because of Brain Balance, or a combination of factors, but we are seeing at least one big change.

I've also mentioned before that I am a Reader.  I love reading - and that's putting it mildly.  I always have my Kindle with me, because if there is a free 2 minutes in my day, I want to have my books handy. . .

 

 

Where am I going with this?  Well, this avid reader, who has read to her children since in-utero, managed to produce kids who love to be read to - but do not enjoy reading.  I found myself envious of parents whose children walk around hefting Harry Potter or The Lightening Thief.  I was shocked into jealously learning about a friend's daughter who gets up early - just to have extra time to read in the mornings. 

No longer.  I have a new problem in my life, and I LOVE IT:

My 9 year old won't stop reading. . .

That's right.  This child who has repeatedly scored below grade level in reading, who would not finish reading assessments because the three-paragraph reading passage was "too long", who complained when I made him read the recipe directions for brownies we were making - won't stop reading now.

I am in Literacy Heaven.

I can't get my son to do his Brain Balance homework because he won't put his book down.  I have to remind him to eat at meals, because his nose is buried in a book.  He snuck out of bed last night, and downstairs to the sofa, so he could keep reading.

This is a challenge, because we have a lot of "have-to" do things throughout the day, yet I am struggling with making him get it done, because I don't want to ask him to stop reading. 

This is a problem I can live with. . .

Running on Empty

Summer vacation is almost over.  In less than a week, I return to work, and shortly after, the kids return to school.

It has been a wonderful summer.  I think we all enjoyed the break from rushing out the door first thing in the morning, and having a more relaxed schedule during the day.

This entire summer, I've been struggling with my running - my endurance, the weather (pouring rain or horrible humidity), making time to log the miles, and most importantly my desire.  I have a blogger friend who recently posted about not enjoying running, so why was she pushing herself so much with it?  That post got me thinking about my struggles.

I have decided that I still enjoy running.  However, I no longer care to torture myself doing it.  I don't want to take 2 hours every weekend to log a long run.  I don't want to wake up ridiculously early in order to cram in more miles so that I reach a weekly mileage goal.  What I do want - is to enjoy running again. . .I want that feeling of freedom and my worries slipping away.  I want to feel that I've gotten a good workout, without compromising my entire day in order to achieve that one goal.

This morning, at spin class, I found myself thinking about all the races I've completed, and the few that I still have ahead of me. . .I realized that I have not registered for a running race recently - and I felt physically ill for a moment.  What am I doing?  I need to get home, get online and find a race to participate in before the end of August! 

No.  Deep breath.  Shift.

I do not NEED to be registered for a race, in order to run - or bike.  I can, and will, do this on my own.  I realize that initially, I registered for races to keep myself motivated.  If I had a race that I had committed to - by golly I was going to be ready, so it kept me in line with my workouts and training.

I think I have enough of a routine now, that I enjoy - I am not going to fall off the exercise wagon.  That had been my initial concern.  Now, I am looking forward to running, or biking, on my own terms.



Don't get me wrong.  I am still registered for races, and will continue to register - I am sure.  They are a good experience, and I like going to new venues (and of course, collecting t-shirts).  However, I am also enjoying just running with friends.  I like heading out on my own, and finding a new quiet road to explore - at my own pace.

This is a work in progress.  It's a change from my previous exercise path, and will take some adjustment, some shifting.  But I think it will help to bring back my enjoyment with running, which has been seriously lacking this summer. 


And maybe, just maybe, it will help me to live more in the moment. . .

Teachable Moments.

Parenthood.  What a trip.

This past weekend was my husband's 40th birthday.  We went away for a long weekend, and it was a wonderful family time.  For the most part.

I think I've mentioned before - my kids are wide open.  They have endless energy and talk non-stop.  One of the most difficult issues I confront as a parent are the constant, split-second decisions that must be made - all day long. 

There are individual lessons, specific to each child, and basically, minor, for example:  My 7 year old has a habit of using scissors to snip off the ends of those plastic yogurt tubes, and then leaving them on the floor - or wherever else they may fall.  For the longest time, I would just clean it up, along with my regular floor sweeping.  However, recently, I realized, "He's going to keep doing this, if I don't stop and make him clean it up himself."  I needed to take the time to teach him that this behavior is not okay, and what my expectation is for trash.

This takes time.  It takes energy.  It takes me frequently repeating myself.  This. Is. Parenthood.

Then, there are the bigger issues and decisions, the ones that affect not only one person, but others. . .I promised my husband I would not document this transgression, as he feels I am creating a digital journal of our son's delinquent activities.  However, I think I can still convey the struggle of Teachable Moments.

 

I went for a run this weekend while we were in the mountains.  I have a two loop route that I run.  While I was running, the boys were out and about on their scooters.  On my final lap, I noticed that one of my children had done something he should not have done. . .As I walked my cool-down home, I found myself thinking, "This is minor.  Do I even bother to bring it up?" conflicted with, "If I don't mention this, he won't learn.  This is a Teachable Moment."  I have to mention it.  I have to use this as a learning opportunity, and I have to follow through with this, as much as I don't want to. . .This. Is. Parenthood.

So, I got home and rounded up all my boys (Dad included), and mentioned what I had found.  My youngest son immediately stepped up and took responsibility, which I totally appreciated.  This was a big step for him, because usually he denies any involvement.  So, I acknowledged that was good that he owned the mistake - but then the lesson?  The consequence?  How to convey the importance of making good choices and being respectful? 

I need a manual.  I need a handbook.  I don't know what I am doing.

Baby Blues 5/2/09

                              "Do you ever feel totally unqualified to be a parent?"
                                                "All the time."
                                               "In fact, the only time I ever felt qualified to be a parent was before I had kids."

These Teachable Moments - these frequent moments in parenting, in life, when we must stop, take a deep breath, and learn.  These moments are not just for my children, they are for me.  We all learn, and it's not always easy. . .but it's worth it, right?