15 Months of Diggies

The problem with skipping a few blog posts is that I feel paralyzed when I return as to what to write!  I have written a dozen blog posts in my head, but they never made it to the keyboard.  So- life continues to turn.  ISLA, work, life, training, travel, ISLA!  We are having tons of fun doing activities and going on playdates.  Isla is crazy social, and I am always amazed at how she will just go up to other kids and engage, even older kids.   

It is also insane how quickly she is now developing.  Not only does she know the difference between Mickey and Minnie, she can say their names and matches them out of context.  It is just so odd to see how knowledge develops within short periods of time.  She knows 12 body parts, says tons of words, follows directions, and knows how to avoid going to bed by giving me one more night night kiss.  (She still doesn't know how to sleep through the night at 15 months, but what fun would that be if we were all rested and not slightly crazy?) 

I will try to catch up on training and such, but tonight, here are a few snapshots from early October with my sweet girl. 

Family day at the Botanical Gardens- Isla is learning to make new, interesting faces. 

Fine motor skills meets saving money:  thrifty mom is already teaching the value of the putting money into the piggy bank. 

Cuteness overload heading to school!

I swear there is nothing cuter than a naked baby. 

Checking out the koi pond at the Botanical Gardens

 

Isla and Sullivan meet a swan

Isla and Sophia rule the petting zoo!

More zoo fun with my PT school friends and their babies

Mmmmm...sand and dirt.  Isla loves it!

Kona Weekend!

I LOVE Kona week.  I love all of the great interviews at Endurance Planet and IM Talk.  And who could not love Breakfast With Bob?

I did something new this year...I put my top 10 predictions in writing.  There is still a little time for you to do this too!

Mostly, I look forward to all things Andreas Raelert.  Yes, the crush is still alive and kicking.  He will never be replaced.  When I am 70 years old, I will be telling my grandchildren about how he was my favorite triathlete.  :)

My friends know me all too well, and Langer woke me up earlier this week with an Andreas in Kona video.  :)  

Best of luck to so many friends:  Wattie Ink Teammates, Elizabeth Rich, Tim Perkin, Dawn Elder, Ann Thilges (with Tina), Sonja Wieck, Jeff Fejfar...and I am sure many other awesome people that I am forgetting.  Have a great day! 

PBPRs

If only I knew....hindsight is 20/20....  I think we can all look back at different times in our lives and say that.  So, what do I wish I knew as I new mom and athlete that I know now?  I wish more people had told me that it might be 15 months post baby that I would see some real progress athletically.  15 months, I said.  

We see so many outliers in our sport- the women that are running the day before they deliver, the women doing ironman months after delivery, the women that are winning races and qualifying for events within that first year as a new mom.  And after a very short 15 months as a mom, I am here to tell you, they ARE outliers.  We will never know what resources other people have in the form of support, type of child, recovery from birth (vaginal or c-section), sleep, hormonal recovery, or training time.  So, when you flip through mommy blogs, be very cautious and discerning when taking another mom's athletic timeline and applying it to yourself.  It doesn't matter WHEN you get there, just that you take the first step and keep running.  

And, let me be that blog for you that shows you that while yes, your journey may take a little longer, it is still there for the taking.  Finally, after a bunch of personal worsts (PW) this year in all disciplines, I finally had a post baby PR (PBPR)...not an all-time PR, but something solid post baby....that was actually worth something.  I ran a hard and hilly 10 miler this weekend and was finally satisfied with my effort, my physical stamina, and my mental stamina.  I knew the course, and my desire to run in a certain way matched my ability.  I was able to stay in contact with some other females that I respect as runners, and I am starting to see some transfer from my tempo runs to my racing.  My goal for the day was to care at every mile and to not stop caring at any point.  (you know how sometimes in a hard race, you just don't care where you place and you shut down?  that was me a few times this year).  I finally did this- no giving up- total caring from start to finish.  

I am also having some success with my back.  It still hurts, but it hurts a ton less than it did 2 weeks ago and my joints are showing some increase in stability.  All of my PT work paid off in another PBPR this morning in the pool with a 100yd time that I haven't seen in 2 years. 

So, yea for PBPR- more than a year later.  Keep them coming!  And new mommy friends, it may take some time!  You heard it from me.  :) 

Weekend Time

Whew! A week has passed! I have been so busy that I can hardly keep up. 

Some good news- I think we are making some good progress on healing my spine.  I had a great consultation with some spine specialists, and they think I received the wrong diagnosis last year, which resulted in me performing a bunch of exercises that were promoting the injury rather than healing it.  Basically, I was originally treated for a disc issue, but it seems to be the opposite issue, and I have "kissing spines."  (we are going to do some imaging in the next few weeks to make sure I don't have a spondylolisthesis).   I increased the lordosis of my lumbar spine when I was pregnant.  Add in a c-section and ligament laxity from hormones, and my poor back just needed a little extra attention before I did some of the swim training and band only work that was prescribed.  BTW, kissing spines is seen most often in swimmers (ding ding!) so if you have low back pain that has an onset with swimming, this diagnosis would be worth checking out. 

And actually, I am improving now that I have stopped all extension exercises and have changed a few things around.  I am starting to be able to swim the full session, and the onset of pain is getting pushed back further every day.  Yippee! 

In other news, I am hitting some good times with my tempo runs.  It is good to see some progress sprinkled in my weeks.  I also hit a new running stroller PR as I was almost late picking up Isla after work.  Nothing like a little fear of being that "late mom" to make me pick up the pace.   

I have to be honest, neither Isla nor I really like running with the jogging stroller.  She is bored, uncomfortable, and cranky.  I  don't find it pleasurable.  So, we do 2-3 miles max from time to time- sometimes I will pick her up from school in it so I can get in a few miles.  Some kids can just chill in those things for hours, but my kiddo is not one of them. 

Isla has been super busy making friends and having fun.  What an amazing and sweet girl she is!  I love, love, love her.  She is running everywhere and climbing on everything.  She is talking up a storm, and it is just so fun to listen to her.  We have a bush in our front yard that attracts bees, and every day on the way to school she will say "bye bye bees!" when we pass the bush.  So sweet!  She also cracks me up as she wants to change diapers on all of her stuffed animals because they have "poo poo"...or better yet, when she goes to the toilet to say "bye bye poo poo!"  LOL!  She keeps me loving and laughing.   

Isla had Sullivan over last Saturday...her first friend to ever come to our house for a play date.  Loved it!

Later that morning, she went to the zoo with another friend, Hadley.  Sweet girls!  How cute are these two?

A trip to the playground with Piper rounded out the day.  I think I was more tired than she was!

Our weekends stay busy, and I can't believe another one is already here!  I am going to see if I can convince Isla to chill so we can rest.  :)  And next up on the races?  10 miler this weekend.  Hard and hilly- should be fun!