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A Nice Break



My parents are visiting from Germany for a few weeks, which has allowed me to take a break from a few things lately. I love my routine but don't mind a little change in pace here and there.
  • The last couple of week I have a day here and there at home with no kids. (The other days I was camping with them and my parents). Wow. That has never happened! I almost feel like a pro athlete. (Just a lot slower.) There is actually time for recovery! I did not care one bit about recovery for more than 10 years but now, at age 30, I can tell that I really need it. I love to come home from a hard session, jump in an ice bath, take a hot shower, get back in the ice bath, elevate my legs, and put on compression socks. That is a 40 minute luxury I hardly ever have time for.
  • Karl and I don't train together. We have two little kids. Karl does not swim (anymore). He rarely bikes (except for commuting). He is a much faster runner than I am. But last week we got to run together twice! It was a treat for me but I doubt he enjoyed it much... Thursday I needed to run 12 miles at a (for me) pretty fast pace. My 'pretty fast pace' happens to be his easy pace. I could not have done the session without help, so I invited him along and he happily obliged. It was not pretty but we got it done! (Can you count this as a date?) (Too tired to go on a real date, we rented 2 movies that night, realized they were both a waste of our time, and went to bed early. Aahh, the glamorous life of athletes...)
  • For my long ride on Tuesday, I got to explore some new terrain! Wow. Amazing! A bike ride that was not going to take place on Lake Mary road? I am getting spoiled. My destination was the Grand Canyon. I have wanted to bike there ever since we moved here and finally my chance had come! My parents and the boys left Monday morning. I squeezed in 3 swim sessions, one long trainer ride, and a short run before embarking on my little 78-mile journey. The plan said to Just Ride. And so I did. Just me, my nutrition, and the beautiful scenery. No intervals, no pacing, no tempo. Just riding. I was having so much fun that I wanted to keep going. But Noah was waiting for me on his bike at the entrance to the campground and so we just did an extra little loop together. Good times! He then also accompanied me on a quick transition run. I can't wait for him to get a bigger bike. We will be a great team!
  • I have definitely been spoiled the last few days! Reading a book, getting a massage and a hair cut, having a clean house... Tonight Karl and I went to the pre-race dinner for tomorrow's Halfmarathon and then enjoyed the hot tub and an ice bath. Wow. Everything seems so easy without kids. But the truth is: I don't like it! Life seems rather meaningless and I am really not that much more productive. It has really only been about 3 days total without them but I do miss them! Who would've thought... I am definitely enjoying this nice break but I am ready for more laughter, tears, mess, chaos, tantrums, and hilarities. I love being a mom!





Comments

Jamie Pearson said…
My only thought is so nice to have a break and right you guys went to "bed" early. hehe See you in less than a month!!
August 17, 2011
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