I've had an extra dose of motivation to run lately thanks to two Christmas presents: a watch and a book. I'm not a real tech-savvy person so when I heard about the GPS running watches, I was sure I wouldn't want one. But the curiosity of how fast (or slow) I am and how long my routes are slowly changed my mind. Birch, of course, was thrilled. Why do all men just love gadgets?
I have liked the watch a lot more than I thought I would. Now I know better what my normal pace is and it feels so good to run fast or long and have a number to prove how hard I went. The only problem was I got a little overzealous the first few weeks, running more than I should have and my lower back spoke up. That's when the second gift came in handy....
This book is by two women (obviously mothers) who write articles for various magazines: Shape, Runner's World, etc. They give their tips on how to stay fit and reach your running goals while raising children and working. They're definitely more hard-core than I am, waking up before dawn to run while their children are sleeping. I was surprised that they didn't talk about jogging strollers or how to run with your children. But they both work part or full-time so our schedules are different. It did made me realize a few things I can and should change about how I exercise:
Strength train!! Once or twice a week
Cross train!! Both of these will help my back stay healthy
Run a race for time and not just for distance
Getting up early sometimes would give me better workouts
Schedule time to run with friends
They also love to watch YouTube videos on Birch's iPod. They watch the "Matman" theme song and Adam Sandler's song about Elmo. It's catchy!
I always thought it would be fun to have all boys but now I'm surprised at how much I like having a little girl. My favorite thing is to do her hair in the morning. We don't have fancy bows and I do it the same way almost every day, but something about combing her hair is fun for me.
At least for now she'll hold still for a minute and not rip it out if I distract her.
Valentine's smile :)
