5 sit-ups, 5 push-ups, no excuses

The 20 minute workout. Before Edie, I'd dip out of work at Makers' for a luxurious lunchtime spin class or hit up Crossfit from 6-7pm on any given weeknight, as well as Saturday mornings. There was even a time when I did Crossfit followed by yoga (followed by a scone, but who's counting?). When Edie was just a little thing we walked and walked and walked around Wallingford and Green Lake on our days home together, in addition to Crossfit (after she was in bed).

Now that I'm back on the full-time work schedule I'm happy to squeeze in a 20-minute workout. It doesn't seem like much but if I get a sweat going then I've succeeded. Yeah I kind of enjoy being sore the next day (which I haven't felt in a long time), but if I can get my heartrate up, I'm good. I work out in our garage or basement with kettlebells, dumbbells, a pull-up bar, ab mat, and good old fashioned body weight. I just ordered a jump rope and next I want to get a medicine ball.

I'm trying to figure out the best time to workout because when I get home, I want to chill with Edie and Dave. It's Edie dinner, bath, books, then bed, then dinner for me and Dave, all by 8pm. There's not much leeway. And forget about working out post-dinner (I tried). I've analyzed this a lot and I've concluded that it's the unfortunate time of 5:30am, as it won't cut into Edie time, I don't have to go anywhere, I get it out of the way, and sweating won't ruin my hairdo. But how can I wake up even earlier!? I cherish sleep as much as sweat.

Yesterday I exercised at my work gym which is very similar to a Hilton Hotel gym (small, free, kinda creepy in the basement). It was better than nothing, and there were other people to ease the creep factor. Did I mention we also belong to the JCC? We pay for it, and Dave does use it for basketball. If I think about the math I probably pay $20 every time I set foot in there. Am I their ideal customer?

Today while the mid-afternoon doldrums set in I Googled Crossfits in the area and found one that has a neutral reputation (I've heard negative things about the other local Box). I contacted the woman who runs it and mentioned we miss the cameraderie and adrenaline highs associated with Crossfit. She said stop in anytime.

I'm tempted.

Set it and forget it

As the time between blog posts indicates, I've been pretty swamped with a new new job, my baby, my husband, 8-day power outages, family illness, and weekend getaways. I keep thinking things will slow down soon, but they don't! And my 5:50am alarm sure does go off early.

My new job is going well. The last few days have been very busy, which I like, because the day just flies by. I ate lunch at 2pm today. That never happens. My clock strikes breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. I look forward to each meal, and have always reacted to those who claim "I just forgot to eat!" with sincere skepticism. Today I didn't forget to eat, I was just trying to finish a few things before I took lunch.

One bummer is that I now work full-time. I'm the first to admit, I had a very lovely on-ramp back to work after I had Edie. Following my maternity leave, I worked three days a week for about 10 months. In between jobs and newly planted in CT, I had July off, then began working a four-day week. A full year after going back to work, I'm a full-timer again. I'm certainly not the first mom to do it, but I really did enjoy my days home with Edie.

I miss my girl but have been streamlining operations at home to make room for hanging out. For example, we hired a bi-weekly (not live-in, unfortunately) housekeeper on a friend's recommendation, and her rates are totally affordable. I've also been trying to order groceries online. The housekeeper is going well, but the food delivery has not totally taken hold. I have two gripes with Peapod: when something I order is out of stock, they don't provide an alternative. I ordered one type of eggs the other night, and they were back-ordered or something, so I got no eggs. They should just send a comprable carton of eggs. And, what's with the 89 plastic bags? Ever heard of Mother Earth?

Also on my streamlining to-do list: sign up for delivery dry cleaning. They pick up and drop off for no extra charge. Seems too easy.

To counter my new commute, which for the first time ever is in a car, I intend to download episodes of This American Life and KEXP's Music That Matters podcasts. KEXP is a wonderful, unique Seattle-based radio station that I really miss. CT radio makes me want to cry a little, or get satellite radio.

Lastly, Dave and I have started a new family work-out routine. We're training for the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day, and have been running with Edie after work. We bought some reflective gear and a flashing light for her jogging stroller. Although it's already dark at 5, we stick to the main roads and wear our shiny gear as we run around the 'hood together.

Leonard Cross-Country Team

I had spent three months preparing: running four times a week, sprinting around the local track once or twice, downloading Beyonce into my "get psyched" mix, buying new sneaks, and avoiding bending to low cabinets in an effort to preserve my knees.

I put my training to the test for 13.1 miles on Saturday, and I'm now the proud bearer of a Hartford Half Marathon medal. I came in at 1:58:19.
Not bad for a baby mama. (I have a friend who swears childbirth makes you stronger...maybe so. It definitely grooms your ability to use a 'mind over matter' approach).

As usual, on race day I was running late. Aunt Kitty and my parents were waiting out front while I tore through our house, gathering my bib, fleece, Gu Chomps (super-powered gummi food), and headphones. And cell phone. And chapstick.

We were all nervous en route to Hartford, where much of the city was preparing for the event (including a marathon, half marathon, 5K, and kids' 1K). For example, my dad wouldn't stop talking. Before my mom hit him over the head with a Clif Bar, we scored a parking spot and set off the find Kevin and Janice, my mom's brother who forbids us from calling him 'uncle', and his partner. They were planning to park their RV across from the Bushnell.

They welcomed us into the pre-race RV, where jitters were palpable. Kevin was running the full-marathon, and the rest of us had our own goals to achieve. No matter which race you're prepared for, there's gonna be a knot in your stomach. (Bigger knots for longer races? Not sure.) No one had the appetite for food or coffee, so we snapped a few pics and joined the throngs of well-toned athletes.

Mom, Dad, and Kitty went their way, and Kevin and I got in the queue together. I asked what his goal was. He said "Honestly, to finish. But if I had my drothers, under 4:30". When he asked mine, I said, "Under 2". We bumped fists, I turned up Rihanna, stretched, and prepared for the gun.

The beginning of a road race doesn't start with a mad dash. It's slow for the first half mile or so, as people spread out from underfoot. It's a tangled mess, and hard to get your tempo going. But it was a beautiful, sunny day, and my friend Laurie came up behind me to say hi within the first mile, and I got into a groove with my music. There were also onlookers cheering, holding signs, some playing music, and little kids held out their hands, vying for a high five. Personally, the audience is crucial to getting a good pace going and maintaining a steady pace. An enthusiastic crowd makes me want to run faster and taller.

After going through the West End of Hartford, the course went around our neighborhood for miles 6-8. I told Dave that I'd be at the water station at the end of our street between 8:45 and 9:15. Pretty broad window but I really wasn't sure. I kept looking at my watch as I got nearer, wanting to impress him by arriving on time. I also really needed to use the Port-o-Potty, and was honestly wondering if I could run to our house ever so quickly...

I was totally pumped to see Dave and Edie, and that made me run confidently. However the lower-intestine cramps that I'd tried to push out of my mind since the starting block weren't subsiding. I paid a visit to the Johnny-on-the-Spot at mile 7. No harm, no foul. I jumped right back into the race feeling about 2 lbs lighter.

Not long thereafter, I hit an incline. A woman in a competitive-type wheelchair pushed up next to me, and struggled, but she kept pushing uphill. I knew Dave and Edie would be down the street, so I powered through. Seeing the mile markers pass helped. They were coming up pretty easily. I saw Dave and Edie twice more. Edie rang a cowbell, and Dave was super supportive, so that gave me some fuel.

Things started to slow down at mile 11. The mile markers seemed to spread out, and instead of cursing the race I did some self congratulating: "Shawna, you're so awesome. Look at you, you're running this race and you're keeping a great time! You rule." That was my inner dialogue, which brought me to mile 12, then 13. The crowd of onlookers was thicker, I heard someone cheer my name, and then- voila- the finish line! My parents and Kitty met me outside the gate, surprised I was done already.

We recovered and went to watch for Kevin and the other marathoners. He finished with flying colors in under 4 hours. The race was an awesome event that brings out some big emotions. I wanted to cry watching every third person cross the finish line: they're overweight, they're old, they're holding hands, oh my goodness, isn't humanity something else? It really does tug at something deep, and I can't wait to do my next race.

I'll see you at Manchester...

"You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat"

What does a girl have to do to watch Jaws around here?

We've been swimming a lot- in lakes, pools, kiddie pools, the ocean, and Long Island Sound (which is the ocean, if you want to get technical). And I really want to watch Jaws, although that might be a poorly-timed idea, since I plan to continue our ocean adventures. Edie was born during Shark Week last year, so that might explain my deep-rooted desire to see the sneaky/smart fish on film.

I tried to get a copy from the library, but they were out, and Blockbuster isn't anymore, and I doubt Red Box has a "Classic Horror" section. I'm sure it's on TBS or something similar, maybe even On-Demand. There never seems to be time to dedicate two hours to a movie anyway...

...'Cause I'm busy training for a half-marathon! I've quickly accepted the fact that I'm not going to Crossfit for a while. The one that people recommend is inconvenient and out of our budget right now. I've been a runner, on and off, for about 10 years. My sister introduced me while I was in college, dividing my summer between Boston and CT, because all you need is a pair of sneakers. It's cheap and easy, so I always pick it up during times of transition or economic belt-tightening.

This will be my third half-marathon, and I use an online tool to calculate how often and how long I have to run. Sometimes I bring Edie in her baby jogger. She likes the free ride (especially with a teething biscuit in hand). My friend Kelly and I are planning to do our long runs together on Saturdays, and another friend might join me during a weekday morning workout. Tomorrow my mom will run with me. I don't listen to music, because my headphones often fall out, which is frustrating. It disrupts the momentum. Running can be therapuetic and is giving me a chance to explore our town and local wildlife.

The race I'm training for is the Hartford Half-Marathon, which will be in mid October. It's a beautiful time in New England, which seems so far away while, as we're whiddling away our weekend days at the beach.

Connecti-kitzmans: Part 2

We still don't have our USB to download photos; it's in the POD, along with the rest of the physical contents of our lives. Edie is over the whisks

and bowls I've given her to play with. She looks at me like, "Sooo when do my toys arrive again?" and then I launch into yet another made-up version of Little Liza Jane.

Dave arrived after his long, enjoyable journey, and there are dead bugs covering our car with Idahoan origins. Yep, the Subaru made it. Dang right, as we just spent an arm and a leg rebuilding the engine.

Connecticut is hot and humid, which is nice, because there's also air conditioning and pools and ice water. I now have a reason to wear sunscreen and skirts after our somewhat-depressing Seattle spring. The downside is that working out is limited to early morning or evening when it cools off a bit. This morning I missed my window and had to sacrifice a perfectly good workout day. Or maybe that's just what I told myself. In related news, I bought a running stroller off of my buddy Craigslist, which has opened up lots more opportunities to work out with the girl.

My parents have a bird feeder in their front yard and it attracts species from far and wide. The bird feeder action reminds me of a scene fromDisney's Snow White: winged friends, chipmunks, and squirrels all coming together. The feeder is full in the morning and entirely empty by evening. It's cool to watch the wildlife; I wish I knew more about which types of birds they are.

It still feels like we're on vacation, as we're just getting around to unpacking our bags and settling in. We have gone without most of our possessions but I miss our music and Edie's books and our bed. My parents have been super helpful and generous, letting us use their car and other essentials as needed.

Tomorrow we're hitting up Misquamicut, and we'll show Dave the best of New England beaches. It's good to be home.

"Just not now"

I went to Crossfit tonight after putting the little girl to bed. It was a good one- warm up consisted of tossing a medicine ball with a partner, then dips and pull-ups (5 sets of 3, each). The workout of the day was called Helen. Crossfit has all these 'Girls' workouts- not sure why they're named Fran, Helen, and Angie, but they'll put you in your place. Helen is a 400 meter run, 21 kettlebell swings, and 12 pull-ups, three times, as fast as you can.

Dave and I have each been going twice a week, because that is all we can accommodate budget- and time-wise. We flirt with the idea of going more, but there is no childcare and really no extra money laying around to pay for it. Believe me, I've checked.

You can't progress when you workout twice a week. You can maintain, but you can't really improve. I'm jealous of the other women who are beating me. My latent competitive edge comes out, and I'm up against women who go three or four times a week. I just have to tell myself, "Not now". I know that the time will come when Edie's a bit older, we have more money, or we find a Crossfit that has a kettlebaby room.

I try not to get down about it, because it's great that I'm still going at all. Any time something pops up that I want- new work clothes, skis, an iPhone, I think "Just not now". I've chosen to work part-time, and I love spending time with Edie, so I wouldn't trade my work schedule for more money (besides, that would require additional daycare tuition, so it's just a vicious cycle).

What I should do is dedicate one more day to doing Crossfit workout at my house. Maybe I'll weld some old coffee cans to a lead pipe and pump iron in our decrepid shed. Or buy a used running stroller now that Edie is 6 months, and go running on our days together. That actually sounds pretty good.

Crossfit glory!

Our Crossfit gym posted a blog about me and my post-due workouts. I had stopped working out around the end of my 8th month, but then started going again right around my due date to get things moving along. I thought that some moderate activity might initiate labor. Plus I was getting bored. Unfortunately for me (but fortunate for my instructors and fellow gym goers, who were keeping a healthy distance) exercising didn't do the trick. (FYI, I ended up getting induced, and even that didn't go very quickly).

Being 42 weeks pregnant was a bummer, but at least I got some Crossfit glory, plus lots of fist bumps and encouraging words from people who thought it was awesome that I was still working out.

Dave and I went to Crossfit last week for a pot luck BBQ and to introduce Edie to the crew. Here's a great photo of Dave with our little girl.

Now when I'll return to Crossfit to workout is another story...I think I'll start with some bootleg home workouts first.

Walking on sunshine

Is it weird that I don't want to do anything? I guess "anything" is a misnomer, but I have a few things on my to-do list and topping that list is "Work". I definitely don't feel like going to the office on a beautiful Saturday. I would clean our house, or cook or make a collage but boarding a bus and going downtown does not appeal to me.

This morning I went to pre-natal yoga. I've had a rocky relationship with yoga over the past ten years. For example, I was into it while atending a pre-college program at Bennington (coincidentally, that's when I decided to become a vegetarian and learn to sew. Neither goals lasted the year). A few years ago I stated that "Yoga isn't for me. I want a workout that makes me sweat".

Fast forward to 2010: My pregnant friend Dara piqued my interest in pre-natal yoga, partially because she said at the beginning of each class, everyone says their name and how far along they are, and I'm curious about other pregnant ladies/bodies. I'm amazed by women who are past 35 weeks because they are generally so big! Am I going to be that big?! How can it be?!

It took a lot of momentum to get to the community center for my first class. I seemed to come up with excuses really easily (such as I already pay for, and attend, two gyms). But I finally went a month and a half ago and the class was so relaxing and mellow, on my way home I felt like I was walking on sunshine. Although some yoga practices are vigorous workouts, this class focuses on stretches for pregnancy and labor. We also focus on breathing, being in the moment and losing judgement, which is really therapeutic for my hyperactive East Coast mind.

It may be a little crunchy granola, but I am beginning to really look forward to my Saturday pre-natal yoga class. As a side-note, the weather in Seattle has been ridiculously nice. It's been spring-like for a month now. The cherry blossoms are all blooming, adding brushes of pink to the cityscape. It's a nice backdrop to my intense work deadlines. So, about going in to the office...

By the way, this is Chez Moni's 100th post! And I'll post pics of my belly soon.