Happy Birthday

We have had a fantastic weekend. It started out with a LONG LONG workout morning on Saturday. I met my friend Jennifer for an 11 mile run, headed home, changed into dry clothes, and set out on my bike for a 30 mile ride. I love living in the south, particularly the weather, but boy do I miss the flat lands of Wisconsin. The main reason I wanted to finish up early was Johanna came for a visit for Andrew's third birthday.

We started out the celebration by doing his presents with him on Saturday afternoon. He was one lucky little fella this year. His big present from mom and dad was a bike. He is still working on coordinating the pedals, but he loves to sit on it. His grandparents bought him a train table and train set which he is having so much fun playing with, but I think Parker enjoys knocking the tracks down more. His aunt Johanna sent him a large blow up pool with a water slide. It is supposed to be really hot this week, so I am sure we will spend a lot of time in it. He has also been having a lot of fun with the gift from his Aunt Rebecca-a musical sit and spin. He likes to spin it enough to get the music started and then stands up to dance.

This week is the last hard week of workouts. I am starting to get very excited for the races to start up again. This next Saturday we are having a birthday party for the boys with their friends. It will be a busy week getting ready and hopefully getting in some great workouts too.

I will try to get some pictures uploaded tomorrow of the birthday celebration.

Where did this come from?

This morning when I went into Andrew's room he said "Momma, I am sorry I broke your heart. I DO love you."



I have no idea where this would have come from.



Yesterday, Andrew said to Parker "I am only going to tell you this one more time."



I know EXACTLY where this came from.

Busy Busy Busy

This last week has been incredibly busy. I completed week #1 of 3 Peak weeks in my training and am now down to 4 weeks until my half ironman. Parker's top teeth have finally come through and I am thrilled to report we are all once again sleeping through the night.

Since I cannot remember much of last week (in the peak of training/teething), I will begin my updates with this weekend.

I met my friend Jennifer for a run on Saturday morning. We ran 11miles, and then I ran into another friend and her two daughters and walked another 1.2 miles with them to cool down. Saturday was a gorgeous but very hot day. Andrew and I washed both cars. I don't think I will be "renting" him out for this anytime soon, but we had a lot of fun and cooled off. We went to church that evening and attended another friends' baptism after that. We had a really nice time catching up with friends and watching all the children play.

Sunday, I woke up early and headed out the door on my bike. The majority of the ride was uneventful, but as I was finishing up, I entered into the state park where Kevin was meeting me with the boys. I passed an elderly gentleman who was walking his dachshund who was all over chasing squirrels and birds, etc. I let him know I was coming past him, but his dog did not get the message and wrapped himself around the man's feet. He fell pretty hard and broke his glasses and cut his hand. In the process of me helping him up, the dog took off. I went after the dog and the man tried to stand up again and fell again. He ended up making it to his car okay and assured me he was fine. I forgot to check my mileage after that, but I biked for 2 hours and 15 minutes followed by a quick 1 mile run with Parker in the stroller. Kevin took Andrew to the playground and then we swapped kids and Kevin headed out on his run. We had a really nice Sunday playing outside with the kids. It was cooler than Saturday and a lot more comfortable.

Finally, this morning was the 3rd and final day of early AM workouts. I was up at 5 AM so I could meet up with Jennifer. I was pretty exhausted and am not sure I made for much of a running buddy today, but we did some hills and ended up completing 5.5 miles. I came home to check on the boys and made breakfast and then was out the door for a 1 mile open water swim with my tri club. I wore my new wetsuit for the first time. I really like it and am looking forward to using it in competition very soon.

Below are some pictures of the boys playing on a rocking "horse" motorcycle a few nights ago. It is hard to believe how fast they are both growing.

So, that in a nutshell is my life in the last week. I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. (FYI, I am having some issues with the layout, so please disregard the strange way the pictures are posted.)

First off, CONGRATULATIONS to my family and friends that ran in Green Bay this weekend. I am amazed and impressed. I wish I could have been there running with you, or at least cheering you all on. Great work.

This is a picture of Andrew on Friday. Andrew used to love to hide in the cupboard when he was little, and recently has started playing in it again. He keeps all kinds of toys in it. I think he likes it because Parker won't get into HIS stuff.
Saturday morning I got out for a quick bike ride. It was an "extra" ride that was not called for in my training plan. I am trying to add an extra bike in each week since that is my definite weakness in triathlon. After that we headed to the Bristol dragway. A friend of ours invited us to come and watch the NHRA national championship races (if you know anything about racing, you know what this means, if you don't -like me, it is a ton of short fast races that are really entertaining) in their suite with them. It was a fun filled day. Andrew was able to get in some rambunctious playtime with their son and watch some "loud cars go real real fast."

Above Kevin is trying to corral Andrew and Jackson while still watching the race. What a guy!

Sunday Parker was 11 months old. It is really hard to believe. He has changed so much and is such a sweet boy. I hate that this is the only picture I was able to get of him (with carrot on his butt) on his day, but we are still dealing with one of his upper teeth breaking through, so he has not be in the best of moods or sleeping all that well.

I had planned to run very very early on Sunday with Jen, but we had an absolute downpour. Jen had been aware of the possibility and we had decided to postpone our run if it was raining. When my alarm went off at 4:30 AM, I cannot say I was disappointed that it was POURING. By mid-morning it had cleared and we were able to run at 4. I am definitely more of a morning runner and I was struggled a bit.

Today marks 7 years that I have been married. Where the time has gone, I am not sure. We celebrated the date by purchasing an infrared grill on Saturday. If you are in the market for a new grill, this is most definitely the way to go. It cooks the food very fast, very evenly and leaves it very juicy. The grill we had was a wedding present from our parents, so I guess it is fitting that we replace it on our anniversary. The other portion of our 'gift' to each other is even less romantic (if that is possible). Over the winter we did a complete remodel on our master bath and had them put a cable hook up on the wall so you can watch tv while getting ready or taking a bath in the jacuzzi tub, and we finally bought the tv/mounting kit for it.

Today also marks just under 5 weeks until my half ironman triathlon (70.3). I started the PEAK portion of my training today with an hour bike at the gym (still do one short and one long bike and run each week and this was the short) and lifting and core. The lifting associated with this portion is definitely amped up and I am excited to make more progress in my training.

I am looking forward to this evening and a night out with the girls. Normally I would not leave Kevin on our anniversary, but we are done celebrating for this year, and who can't use a girls' night out. We are heading to dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant. Good times!

GOOD LUCK IN GB

Just a quick good luck shout out to a whole lot of my running family this weekend running anywhere from the Green Bay 5K, 1/2 marathon, and full marathon.

I apologize if I leave anyone out, but here we go:

5K-Nancy Michel (mom), Val Provost (sister-in-law), and Mark Provost (brother-in-law)

1/2 Marathon- Leah Heier (cousin), Laura Michel (sister), and Connie Milz (mother-in-law)

Full Marathon- Johanna Michel (sister) and Joe Michel (dad)

Wish I was there running with you guys. I am hoping to get my run over with early so I can track you all online. Go Strong!

We must need more toys.

This week has been a pretty good workout week. I am very anxious for warmer weather and some open water swims with my tri club. The pool I swim in, and was supposed to swim in tonight, has not worked out as well as I had hoped. I arrived tonight to discover there was a swim meet going on and there would be no lap swim. I was aggravated since I had planned to do my long swim of 3000 yds for the week tonight. Yesterday I had a good cycle workout at the gym, and earlier in the morning while Parker was napping and Andrew was at school, I did my lifting and core work. If I had known there would be no swim, I would have tried to work in an additional run workout this week. Oh well. Tomorrow will be a short fast run. I am hoping we can have another rain free morning and I can take the boys in the stroller for a little more of a challenge.

Below are some pictures of the boys playing under our kitchen table. Apparently there are not enough toys in their playroom.

It started with Parker climbing under the table after he was done eating lunch. I took him back out and he immediately climbed back underneath.

Andrew had to join in on the fun when he was done eating. It is somewhat hard to tell in this picture, but for the first time, Parker hugged Andrew. Andrew is constantly hugging Parker, but this was definitely a first. It lasted for about 30 seconds and Andrew was so happy.

A Big Onion

Pretty sure I am done writing on a daily basis. It is just not practical. Sunday ended up being an absolutely gorgeous day. I was slow to get out the door because it was a bit cool out and I wanted to get the kids situated with Kevin before I left them. I drove to the state park so I could avoid some really busy intersections on the way to my bike route. I wanted to do a challenging and hilly ride. I ended up biking for 2 hours. It was a good ride. Since I started out a bit late, I had to contend with the 9:30 AM and 10 AM church drivers. Other cyclists had warned me that this was the most dangerous group of drivers to deal with and they were right. I survived and feel much better now approaching just about 5 weeks left until the half ironman. When I arrived home, we loaded up the kids and headed out for lunch and then Lowes for a few more vegetable plants for the garden. The boys took great naps and after some gardening, I sat out in the sun for about an hour reading a book while they snoozed. It was a wonderful mother's day.

Yesterday was a long workout day. I headed to the gym for a brick- 60 minutes of cycling followed by 15 minutes of running. While the boys napped, I did my lifting and core workout. Finally that night I headed over to the pool for some laps. Needless to say, I slept quite well last night. Today was my day off and I needed it. Tomorrow will take me back to the gym for 45 minutes of cycling, and if time allows I will do my lifting and core tomorrow. If it does not work, I will do the lifting and core work on Thursday before swimming.

I guess that is all I have been up to. Andrew said a very cute thing this afternoon. I bought a watermelon at Sam's Club today. Andrew walked into the kitchen and said "Mom, look at this big big big onion." I guess I need to keep working with him.

This morning Jennifer and I headed out for a run route that had a challenging hill every 5 K (3.1 miles). It was pretty warm and humid, so we mutually decided to run two laps (6.2 miles/10K) and walk the final lap. It was not the 10 miles I had initially hoped for, but I needed to step back and take a small break. After our run, the boys were still at the gym with dad, so I headed out on a quick bike ride since the rain was still holding out. I am not entirely optimistic about getting out for a 2 hour ride tomorrow. According to weather.com, we are supposed to stay dry tomorrow, but it has been so rainy for so long that I am afraid to get too excited. If it does rain I will be heading to the gym for an inside ride. We are heading to church tonight so if the weather looks good I can head out first thing in the morning.

We had lots of playtime outside this morning before the rain came. Parker napped, Kevin mowed, and Andrew and I planted mammoth sunflower seeds in various areas throughout the yard. We don't get a ton of sun, but I am hoping at least a few flowers will come up. They are supposed to get 12 feet high. For anyone who is worried about the demise of our little snake friend from last night, rest assured that there are more where that one came from. Kevin mowed the lawn this morning and came across two more. I think I am going to have to learn to live with them.

Finally, here are some pictures of the boys from a few nights ago while I was getting bath ready. Warning, there is some minor nudity.........

Two Questions: 1. Do butts get any cuter? 2. Will Parker speak to me as a teenager?

I have not been very good about writing this week, but it has not been the best of weeks. The boys have been sleeping better through the night, but both boys have been up by 5:30 or earlier every morning. I am trying to get better about letting them stay in bed for a bit in the morning before getting them up, but it does not seem to be helping.

Wednesday was an unusually early morning (5 AM for both) and a rough day regardless. It was the fourth birthday for our darling angel Carson. This day is harder on me than the anniversary of his death because I am reminded of the devastation I felt in knowing the fight that was before him. I spent a lot of time that day hugging the babies that I do have. We also spent some time at the gym. I did an hour of cycling and then did weights and core at home during afternoon nap. That afternoon we took the boys to get their hair cut and picked up dinner on the way home. It was a good family day.

Yesterday was supposed to be a swim day, but I received news that the pool was closed for maintenance problems for the rest of the week. While Andrew was at school, I ran errands with Parker and did some gardening work. Today was my "official" day off. Fridays are always hard to sneak a workout in since the boys have music class in the morning. Tomorrow will take me for a run with my friend Jenn. I am hoping we can have a rain free hour or two to get in 10 miles. Then Sunday, depending on the weather, I need to do my first long bike of 2 hours. If the rain does not let up, I am either going to be forced to bike at the gym or on my trainer at home. My training program only calls for 5 long (2-3 1/2 hour) bikes, so I need to get them all in.

The only other excitement that occurred today hapened tonight. The rain let up for a few hours and we had the boys out playing in the yard. Kevin called me over to show me a 3-4 foot snake. I identified it as a Garter Snake. I am not a snake expert by any means, nor am I much of a fan, but I once kept a garter snake as a pet. Still, living in the south, I was not 100% positive on my identification. I brought Andrew over to see it. He was intrigued but did not attempt to go near it. I tossed a stick at it to scare it off since Andrew was still running around. The snake made a fatal move and took on an aggressive pose. I was really starting to doubt whether it was a harmless garter snake. I watched the snake and kept Andrew back while Kevin went to get a shovel. My "brave" husband walked over, handed me the shovel, and said take care of it. I took a 'stab' at it and missed....3 times. I even resorted to trying to hit it over the head which did stun it enough to slow it down. I still could not kill it because it had slithered into the flower bed which was very very soft from all the rain we have been getting. I was standing on the shovel at one point and still could not kill it. Finally Kevin returned to finish off the job. As we went in for the night, Andrew kept saying we killed that naughty snake. I just wonder what tonight taught him. I don't want him to be afraid of snakes (but I don't want them as a pet in my house either). I did check online and the snake was in fact a garter snake that will actually kill other more dangerous snakes. Ooops!

As a side note, the wasp problem seems to have been eliminated, at least for the time being. I have been meaning to mention an interesting fact I came across. When you kill a wasp, it is best not to squish it as that will release pheromones that will attract more wasps.

Is there a conspiracy?

I am wondering if the boys (the little ones) are already conspiring against me. For the last few weeks Parker has been having a rough time sleeping, ie. I have been having a tough time sleeping. He is getting his top two teeth in, and is suffering for it. The only saving grace has been that Andrew is such a fabulous sleeper. The last two nights have been pretty good for Parker but now Andrew has been up. Last night he kept kicking his blankets off and from 1 AM on, every hour he would wake up crying because he wanted to be covered up. This is very unusual behavior for him. I am exhausted and can feel a bad attitude coming on. I can only hope tonight is better.

Today after dropping Andrew off at preschool, Parker and I went for a run. It has been non-stop rain here, but this morning for about 2 hours it cleared. It felt so good to get in an outside workout. Now if I can only get some sleep!

Tonight after dinner I am heading to the pool for my long swim workout. In a few weeks my triathlon club will start their open water (ie lake) swims. I am definitely looking forward to those.

It's Contagious

We had a great Sunday yesterday despite the rain. After church two good friends came over with their kids and helped our kids to burn off some energy while the adults enjoyed good food, coffee and mimosas. Kevin ended up being the only dad and took over childcare duties so the moms could chat. It was really nice to connect with other adults again. The rest of the day was spent cooking and enjoying the weekend.

Today after a spin class at the gym, Andrew and I played in the garage (still raining) while Parker napped. Andrew rode his trike while I cleaned/greased my bike chain and added some air to my tires. I am doing everything I can to be ready for a nice long ride on Sunday if mother nature cooperates. This evening after supper we piled into the car to deliver dinner to some good friends who just had their second daughter. She is a beautiful little girl with very dark black hair which is funny since mom and dad are both very light and her sister has strawberry blond hair.

November 8th will be my first marathon. It is still several months away, but several family members and friends have already signed up, and we added one more tonight. Kevin registered. I am not sure how easy it will be for both of us to get in runs, but we will manage.

Update

I have been bad about writing, but I have been really good about working out this week and enjoying it. Wednesday took me back to the gym where I biked for 75 minutes. It is a long time to be on a stationary bike, but it has been really rainy here this week. I followed that up with a lifting session while the boys napped. This week was the first week that my plan called for my lifting exercises to change. I am currently in the BUILD phase of my program. Monday my quads were still sore from the 1/2 marathon so I took it easy and only did one set of the lunges. Wednesday I was able to do them all. I was sore after that but in a good way. Thursday I swam and my workout consisted mainly of breathing and speed sets. Aerobically I am not where I want to be in the pool, but that has a lot to do with the temperature of the pool (it is kept pretty warm). Friday was my day off and today was a long run day. Jennifer and I did the hilly route and ran 11 miles. It was a little bit tough for me to get "fired" up for the run with the half ironman being so far away, but we got it done and it was just a little easier than it had been the last time we ran that route.

Enjoy some more pictures from the kids this week.